His book, Boys Among Men: How the Prep-to-Pro Generation Redefined the NBA and Sparked a Basketball Revolution, is due out in March. wrecked is 45 mph. Wesley was twice charged with speeding, according to Mecklenburg Thursday, January 13, 2000; Page D01 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. Phills I'm just going to keep working.' Every city the Hornets played in meant Wesley would be asked to recount the tragedy for another local newspapers story about how Wesley and the team were coping with Phillss death. Some were nice and tactful. Bobby, you cant do that, he told him. TimesMachine is an exclusive benefit for home delivery and digital subscribers. Over his nine-year career, he averaged 11.0 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 2.7 assists per game. The game was postponed. Phills Sr. had visited Bobby in Charlotte that Christmas, just a couple of weeks before the accident. Phills played in the Continental Basketball Association before joining the Cleveland Cavaliers in 1992. Kerstie Phills is in her freshman season at Wagner College, where she also plays guard. We come out of the building and thats where we were going., Thats the routine they were following the morning of the accident. The 30-year-old player left behind a wife and two children,. Or keep them on the same level. In 1995, Phills called Jobe after matching up with Michael Jordan, excited that he was able to hold the NBAs greatest scorerbelow his average. Kendall Phills went running with a friend the morning Bobby died. He led the NCAA in three-point field goals per game (4.39) his senior year. It didnt look like Phills was alive. Jobe asked how many points Phills had scored. Phills's teammates were on the scene with club officials immediately after the accident, which occurred less than a mile from the Charlotte Coliseum. Bobby Ray Phills II (December 20, 1969 January 12, 2000) was an American professional basketball player. Kids started acting different. He is a longtime friend of Indiana Pacers consultantand former New York Knicks general manager Donnie Walsh. He was our guy, and he was going to a better place.. At the same time, he took the most of his opportunities, and it really pushed him., Trey has pushed himself in similarly broad pursuits. In one game, Phills hounded Jordan into 9-for-27 shooting. Has the other guy moved?, No, Woolard said. posted speed was 45 mph. Coach, Wesley said. In fact, he shut MJ down once and I was really impressed. The accident happened after a morning Hornets practice on a roadnear the Charlotte Coliseum. She had this fantastic crush on Bobby, Wallace recalled. These must be some tall guys, he thought. Nell Redmond/AP Photo Kendall Phills at a 2001 memorial service for her husband. I blamed him. He watched Kendall experience such pride and sorrow at center court, and when shed finished speaking, Henderson walked out to Kendall and embraced her. Leave him alone. Phills graduated with a 3.2 GPA and a degree in animal science. He was my partner in crime, he said. He was named to the N.B.A. He was in his third year of a seven-year, $33 million contract. David just didnt want to play, Silas recalled. When Phills built a reputation as one of the leagues best defenders, Jobe was surprised. Anthony Mason was just like, Man, whyd it have to be him?. "Tyvola Road was a road you would take to watch the 25,000 people crowded into that little coliseum to cheer on the Hornets. If there's a person you would want to your children to be, a role model, it's Bobby Phills. And I didnt [do anything wrong]. And I let him know I was going to take care of his kids.". Phills left Silass office. Sometimes people dont believe that type of person exists. Because youve been putting on your socks and shoes since you were 6 or 7 years old. He was 30 years old. L.E. "Bobby Phills represented the very best of the NBA," Stern said. I know why you wanted me to do this by myself and you didnt want anyone throwing the ball back to me, Phills said. "The skid marks indicate he was not going Nobody was there to validate him, Kendall said. : SAN ANTONIO; Elliott Returns to Practice Following Transplant, "Phills' No. A native of Baton Rouge, LA, Phills attended Southern University in Baton Rouge and earned a bachelors degree in animal science (pre-veterinary medicine). Bobby came back the next day and said: 'I want to stay here, Coach. Phills was the fourth active N.B.A. "Not only was Bobby a "He had the brain power, he had the great family background. ''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. Fourth on the team in scoring, a captain and a leader and one of the Hornets' top reserves, he averaged 10.9 points, 3.2 rebounds and 2.7 assists a game for his career. He was lucky to have survived. Southern University. 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. A minute passed. The older you get, the more you appreciate people like him. In 2004, the NBA added an expansion team, the Charlotte Bobcats. We come down to the front of the arena, out to the light, and Im calling my wife to meet at the Pancake House. For a long time, I couldnt think of a time when I wasnt thinking about him, Wesley said. The Bobby Phills Scholarship Fund (www.bobbyphillsfund.com) has been set up in his honor. ''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. Eventually, a police officer covered Phillss face. According to the NBA, there have been three other active players Police said his car collided head-on with a vehicle headed to the arena. A family man. I do for having met someone like him so early in my career.. He had everything. You say, Why wasnt it me instead of him? One mistake, one accident. Wesley was later convicted of reckless driving for his part in the incident. He really grew on the fans here. Trey gained statewide recognition in North Carolina while playing for Charlotte Christian School. He was going 107 m.p.h. [They discussed a] lot of little things that when youre a youngster coming into the league, you dont think about, Miller said. So it didnt matter if he was racing down the street, if he was walking down the street that was his time. Afterward, the team chartered to Charlotte before flying to Baton Rouge for Phillss funeral. when he lost control of his black Porsche. The consent submitted will only be used for data processing originating from this website. David Stern, the N.B.A. He saw Phillss mouth hanging open, and eyes closed. Bobby Phills had always wanted to be an All-Star, she said. Not only was Bobby a tremendous person, but a great husband, father and role model that everyone respected and admired. tremendous person, but a great husband, father and role model that After starting her college career at Wagner, Kerstie transferred and is currently a redshirt sophomore for Florida Gulf Coast University. Blydenburgh, the police crash investigator, said Phills' No. That memory always is there with me, Davis said. Standing a chiseled 6 feet 5 inches and 232 pounds, Phills looked more like a National Football League linebacker or a sculpted bodybuilder than a lithe N.B.A. Cookie Policy. Woolard, an insurance adjuster and appraiser and native North Carolinian, had just finished inspecting one vehicle and was headed uptown to check out another. 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. Phills, a 6-foot-5 defensive stopper and a team leader, started often at shooting guard or small forward for the Hornets, and sometimes played in a reserve role. His Hornets teammates. The Hornets selected Davis with the third pick in the 1999 draft. He was in his car, lifeless. She prayed for him, told him that she loved him, and promised to take care of their children. 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. Often, he would volunteer for children's charities and related organizations. Bobby Phills, a guard with the NBA's Charlotte Hornets, was killed Wednesday in a car accident following a team practice. I used to feel so bad about [Phillss death], I used to wonder why couldnt it have been some of the other guys I had. "What did we do to deserve this? For a rookie like myself, he was the veteran guy that you patterned yourself after. You sitting down? Phills Sr. knew something had to be wrong. [1] He was selected by the Milwaukee Bucks in the 1991 NBA draft (45th overall). Report Browse more videos Playing next 1:01 Basketball | Golden State Warriors vs Hornets Charlotte "He had extreme high character. One time after a game, we were driving home. Charlotte Hornets players Bobby Phills and David Wesley were racing each other in their Porsches less than a mile from the Charlotte Coliseum when Phills lost control on a hilly curve and was. Click here to watch Jalen & Jacoby, Grantland Features, and video podcasts. He was 30. Filed Under: NBA, NBA History, Sports Tragedies, Bobby Phills, Charlotte Hornets, Paul Silas, David Wesley, Baron Davis, Brad Miller, Michael Jordan, Charlotte Bobcats, New Orleans Hornets, New Orleans Pelicans. He was like, All right, start carrying. She talked back to the voice. Woolard and Agbegbon were listed in stable condition at Presbyterian Hospital in Charlotte. on a street where the speed limit was 45. to go on to med school like he talked about when he was a kid.". Several hundred feet of skid marks, estimated by witnesses to be about 150 yards, were made by Phills's vehicle. College of Engineering Sciences, Technology and Agriculture at all-defensive team after the 1995-96 season, the same season in which Jordan paid him the ultimate compliment by calling him the toughest defender he had faced. No. He played shooting guard and small forward for the National Basketball Association's Cleveland Cavaliers and Charlotte Hornets. What you doing? Dwayne asked. 65-mph zone on Interstate 485. CHARLOTTE, N.C. Nearly 15 years have passed since Bobby Phills' death in a tragic car crash in January 2000. Both other drivers survived, while Phills died on the scene. Charlotte finished the season with a 49-33 record, but lost to Philadelphia in the first round of the playoffs. A taxi minivan then rear-ended Woolards Oldsmobile. 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Continue with Recommended Cookies, Charlotte Hornets Bobby Phills Killed In Car Crash Brief Article Obituary. For years, I tried to get him I think thats why we always got along so well., The day of the accident, the NBA postponed the Hornets game against Chicago. Kendall finished her speech. Phills had arrived at Southerns laboratory high school after his father became dean of the universitys school of agriculture andconsumer sciences. He was the franchises future a brash, bowling-ball point guard who expected immediate NBA stardom. But him and David Wesley, they were driving at each other, just zooming, Silas said. Obviously, I played against him. That thing with Bobby Phills, Im telling you, it almost made me lose my faith. Youre right. Im trying to keep the flesh lovers away from him. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. Thats the Bobby I know.. You even have thoughts here he was with a family and everything. Dont bother this boy. He was fourth on the team in scoring this season. That was the one car he had always wanted. Phills encountered teammate David Wesley, also driving a Porsche, less than a mile from the Charlotte Coliseum. Police said the men were racing their Porsches at speeds of morethan 100 mph when Phills crashed. 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. 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 . Woolard laid his head down before hearing a voice. Michael Jordan called Phills the toughest defender he ever faced. There was the time he jumped out of his car at an intersection to help a motorcyclist who was engulfed in flames after crashing into a nearby truck. While the No. Phills is survived by his wife, Kendall, and two children--Bobby Ray III, 3, and Kerstie, 1. Or the times Phills had called him a high school coach for advice on how to guard Michael Jordan. I was always told: Dont fall in love with the horses talking about the players. Dazed, Woolard gazed into the Porsche. "He could have been one of the foremost black leaders in the country," Jobe said. The day is going pretty decently, Robert Woolard Jr. thought. When something like that happens, you blame everybody. Just silence. The next month, Wesley was charged with two misdemeanors: speed competition and reckless driving. Once, Jobe walked into the gym to find Phillss younger brother rebounding for him. A minivan rear-ended the other car. The Hornets' game scheduled for last night against the Chicago Bulls was postponed as shock was felt around the N.B.A. [5] A police report said Phills and Wesley were driving "in an erratic, reckless, careless, negligent or aggressive manner. The NBA has suffered another tragic loss in another fatal highway accident. 13 was where it belonged. I dont care if he never makes a basket, Jobe said of Trey. past, according to The Charlotte Observer. 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. Rob was in an accident, she said. Phills was killed last Jan. 12 in a car accident following a morning shootaround. He joined the Hornets in 1997 after six years with Cleveland and was in the third year of a seven-year, $33 million contract. It took a split second for him to realize that its tires were squealing and smoking as it spun out of control and headed toward him. zone on Main Street in Pineville, N.C. Court records show he paid a $25 fine and $86 in court costs. 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. L. E. Blydenburgh, the crash investigator, told The Associated Press. Phills also was a finalist for the NBA Sportsman of the Year award in 1998. The two other drivers were hospitalized and listed in stable condition. Every day, every night, he told reporters. He was a member of Alpha Phi Alpha. Listed in stable condition at Presbyterian Hospital were Robert Woolard Jr., 31, of Cornelius, the driver of the other car; and Yao Agbegbon, 33, of Charlotte, who was driving a minivan taxi, Bridges said. Now take your shoes and socks off, Jobe said, [and then] put them back on just the way you took them off. Phills did just that. More than 15 years had passed since his last go-round as head coach, with the dysfunctional San Diego Clippers in 1983. "Not only was Bobby a tremendous person, but a great husband, father and role model that everyone respected and admired. ''I figured we'd give him a shot to catch on with another team. Phills, 30, was traveling at a "very high rate of speed" when he collided with a car headed toward the coliseum, police spokesman Keith Bridges said. 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. While a member of the Charlotte Hornets, Bobby Phills died in a car accident in Charlotte, North Carolina, on 12th January 2000. Bobby Ray Phills III, nicknamed Trey, is in his sophomore season playing guard at Yale. Shinn was sued by a woman who claimed he sexually assaulted her. To view the purposes they believe they have legitimate interest for, or to object to this data processing use the vendor list link below. Charlotte Hornets guard Bobby Phills was speeding in his Porsche after practice Wednesday when he lost control, crashed into a car and died instantly. class humanitarian.". A lot of reporters. The boy needed a nudge from his mother. He had to tighten his elbow, the same way his father had learned to shoot under Ben Jobe at Southern decades earlier.

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