Treys a stat stuffer, said coach Shonn Brown. He heard the news about 10 minutes into his workout. Shinn found his worst fears confirmed. [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. player. The Charlotte Hornets had retired Phillss jersey shortly after his death. 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. CHARLOTTE, N.C.-Bobby Phills of the Charlotte Hornets was killed yesterday when he wrecked his speeding Porsche after a morning practice at the team's arena, police said. The pain lessens, but there probably wont be a day that I wont think about it. Wesley had always used basketball as therapy; when something bothered him, he could retreat to the game. Wesley, the Hornets' starting point guard, has refused to talk to police, ", NBA commissioner David Stern said Phills was "a caring member of the community.". He was someone that you would want your children to be like.. She had this fantastic crush on Bobby, Wallace recalled. Its things like that., She never blamed Wesley. Aside from basketball, Phills also bicycled and played golf. The NBAs board of governors unanimously approved the request, giving the new Hornets an occasion to once again honor Phills by hanging his jersey in Charlotte, which they did duringhalftime of a game last November. We and our partners use data for Personalised ads and content, ad and content measurement, audience insights and product development. The day of the accident, George Shinn, then the owner of the Hornets, was preparing to leave a meeting when he received a phone call from Paul Silas. The consent submitted will only be used for data processing originating from this website. She exited her car to see Bobbys teammates Elden Campbell and Anthony Mason, both in tears. Two days later, members of the Hornets and Knicks attended Phillss memorial service. Phills lost control of his car on a hilly bend. prayers are with his wife, Kendall, children and family," Hornets When the Hornets moved to New Orleans, his retired jersey went. Phills lost control and crossed into oncoming traffic and collided with a car. 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. When Im by myself, thats when I cry. Witnesses said teammate David Wesley, driving another car at the scene, also may have been speeding, police spokesman Keith Bridges said. I didnt say anything to those guys about Weve got to play harder. I knew that they had played as hard as they possibly could [just] so we could make the playoffs.. 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. Its not good. Silas thought it over: You know what, Bobby? My god, he had the whole package, Jobe said of Phills. 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. After six seasons in Cleveland, Phills was signed by the Hornets on Aug. 19, 1997, as a free agent. Claude Mills, the father of Phills's former teammate, Chris Mills, was called soon after the accident by Baron Davis, the Hornets' rookie point guard. He had it all.. We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device. He was 30. 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. All rights reserved. But Bobby Phills was driving too fast, and so was David Wesley, and Phills' car crashed, and he died instantly. Bobby came back the next day and said: 'I want to stay here, Coach. "He had extreme high character. I dont know who was at fault. charities and related organizations. And to bring that back and let them enjoy that moment, what those memories about Bobby Phills represented to them, means a lot to the organization.. The speed limit where Phills [They discussed a] lot of little things that when youre a youngster coming into the league, you dont think about, Miller said. "The firemen wouldn't let me go near his body. In that series, Silas sensed that his players had nothing left to give. When Phills built a reputation as one of the leagues best defenders, Jobe was surprised. A family man. Its shocking.. team will have a moment of silence for Phills before their home games. One time after a game, we were driving home. "Not only was Bobby a tremendous person, but a great husband, father and role model that everyone respected and admired. "Bobby Phills represented the very best of the NBA," Stern said. 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. No charges have been filed against Wesley, who was driving a He gets deflections. Phills became a rotation player, and as a senior he led the country with an average of 4.4 made 3-pointers per game. He was in his third year of a seven-year, $33 million contract. Bobby Phills was everybodys son, Ben Jobe, Phillss coach at Southern University and A&M College, said recently. commissioner, called Phills ''one of the most respected members of the N.B.A.''. 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. CHARLOTTE - Charlotte Hornets guard Bobby Phills was speeding in his Porsche after practice Wednesday when he lost control, crashed into a car and died instantly. For a rookie like myself, he was the veteran guy that you patterned yourself after. And whenever he didnt win he talked enough trash to make you think he won. He had everything. When Minnesotas Malik Sealy died in a car accident the same year as Phills, she offered Sealys widow, Lisa, both financial and emotional support. He played college basketball for the Yale Bulldogs and now plays for the Greensboro Swarm of the NBA G League. Hornets' Phills Is Killed in Crash - Los Angeles Times Ill watch some videotape of Bobby. Occasionally every child dreams about crea, Joe Fraziers Daughter, Jacqui Frazier Lyde, Challenges Muhammad Alis Daughter, Laila, To A Boxing Match, Earth, Wind & Fire makes mark on Rock Walk Entertainment music group inducted to RockWalk of Fame in Los Angeles, Former U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Dr. Louis Sullivan has helped launch an organization to focus on increasing the number of Black doctors and nurses, Judge Glenda Hatchett Gives Tv Viewers A `Wake-Up Call judge on television series Judge Hatchett, General Motors CEO resigns from country club that rejected black GM executive Jack Smith, Roy Roberts, Career Of Famed Dancing Duo, The Nicholas Brothers, Is Highlighted In New Book. Recasner remains on the injured list. The next month, Wesley was charged with two misdemeanors: speed competition and reckless driving. Cavaliers president Wayne Embry gave Phills his start in the NBA For years, I tried to get him to go on to med school like he talked about when he was a kid.". ON PRO BASKETBALL; The Memories Linger In the Phills Tragedy A Columbia, S.C., jury found in his favor in December. Jobe viewed Phills as a bench player, someone with high grades who could raise the teams collective grade point average. The accident occurred a year ago yesterday, when Bobby Phills lost control of his Porsche after a Hornets practice in Charlotte, N.C. 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. ''Bobby was a solid person,'' said Wayne Embry, the Cavaliers' president. Its one thing for me to tell him, Oh, Trey, youre good. But to hear you have a father that was an NBA player some of [Bobbys former teammates] were still in the NBA, and although theyd check on my family, no one had the time to pour into my son., It was no surprise that both Trey and his sister, Kerstie, gravitated to basketball. 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. "[6] Wesley was later convicted of reckless driving after being cleared of a racing charge. He meant a lot to the community. He reached for a towel and used it to blindfold Phills. Police said the men were racing their Porsches at speeds of morethan 100 mph when Phills crashed. While a member of the Charlotte Hornets, Bobby Phills died in a car accident in Charlotte, North Carolina, on 12th January 2000. Hes happy. The two other drivers were hospitalized and listed in stable condition. Silas looked at the wreck and into Phillss car. On the morning of January 12, 2000, the Hornets had just finished a morning shootaround. 13 remains the only number to be retired by the team. everyone respected and admired. Phills was the fourth active N.B.A. Late NBA star Bobby Phills Death, Wife, Funeral, Son, Family, Net worth He was every girls husband, every childs father. She broke free. The Associated Press The police examining the black Porsche driven by Bobby Phills in his fatal car crash Wednesday. . Eventually, a police officer covered Phillss face. Look, I understand the way things are with you guys, Silas told his shellshocked team. No matter who you were on the team or within the organization, Bobby Phills looked out for you. It was so terrible, and its something Ill never, ever forget.. Phills was killed in a car accident on . Coach, Wesley said. player to be killed in an accident. Some of our partners may process your data as a part of their legitimate business interest without asking for consent. Hes calling his wife to meet us. Phills lost control of his Porsche on a hilly curve where the There was no time to react before his Cutlass and the Porsche collided. Daddy is in heaven with the angels, Bobby Phills III told several hundred mourners at Charlottes Central Church of God before returning to the crowd and embracing his year-old sister, Kerstie. The Milwaukee Bucks had pummeled Charlotte by 50 points two days earlier. We never talked about it. "I remember just asking myself and asking my mom, 'Why would God let this happen to our family?" 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. She saw paramedics on the scene and feared the worst as she turned to look at her husbands Porsche. There were few dry eyesin the church. And there was a box there where I had to check if I was a Miss, a Mrs., or a Ms. And I thought to myself, Im not a Mrs. anymore. He should be upset right now. An example of data being processed may be a unique identifier stored in a cookie. This must be bad. Phills would sign autographs until his hand hurt. Kevin Garnett reflects on the life of former teammate and friend Malik Sealy. A family man. I think it changes as Im coming up to it. He really grew on the fans here. He was a three-and-D wing more than a decade before that became a regular part of the NBA vernacular; he finished as a 39 percent shooter from three-point range and was named to the 1995-96 All-Defensive second team. Phills played in the Continental Basketball Association before joining the Cleveland Cavaliers in 1992. ESPN.com: NBA - Wesley: 'It gets a little easier and easier each day' Bobby Phills: The Story Of His Untimely Death To His Son's Inspiring the accident scene. Bobby Phills, revered in his former NBA towns of Cleveland and Charlotte for the selfless person he was off the court and the player he willed himself into on the pine, died in a car crash Jan. 12 . Shinn was sued by a woman who claimed he sexually assaulted her. List of basketball players who died during their careers, List of NCAA Division I men's basketball season 3-point field goal leaders, "Yale's Trey Phills Looks to Emulate His Dad, Ex-NBA Guard Bobby Phills, Who Died in 2000", Hornets guard Bobby Phills killed in car wreck, An Animal Intensity Cavaliers Guard Bobby Phills Is That Rarest Of Breeds: A Demon On D Who Can Also Nail The Three, PRO BASKETBALL; Hornets' Phills Killed in Car Crash, N.B.A. But the dude did the right things.. He advised Phills to pursue professional basketball for a couple of years, and if it didnt work out, to return to school. What's more impressive, however, is that Bobby was a true man. The other day, I was filling out this application. It took firefighters more than two hours to pry Phills's body from the car. He was someone that you would want your children to be like.". Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Steve Chiasson died in May when his pickup truck crashed outside Raleigh. Jobe reminded Phills that Phills had said he wanted to be a doctor, not a basketball player. At Southern, the coach had prioritized scoring above all else. 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. The ceremony included a . Thursday, January 13, 2000; Page D01 He was far enough back to where I wasnt even sure he was going to make the light, but he made the light. Wesley said they both accelerated: It couldnt have been a mile, and that was kind of it. Both Phills and Wesley have been charged with speeding in the 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. Phills was killed instantly, and two people in vehicles involved in an accident were hospitalized. Joe Fraziers Daughter, Jacqui Frazier Lyde, Challenges Muhammad Alis Daughter, Laila, To A Boxing , Earth, Wind & Fire makes mark on Rock Walk Entertainment music group inducted to RockWalk of, How To Deal With Your Childs Bad Dreams Brief Article Nell Redmond/AP Photo Kendall Phills at a 2001 memorial service for her husband. He dont have to play., But Phills insisted. He was known as a defensive stopper,[2] averaging 1.3 steals per game for his career, and an excellent perimeter shooter, with a 39.0% career three-point shooting percentage. Sioux Falls Skyforce, said Phills had wanted to be a veterinarian. Then David Wesleys fiance, Shannon, called. He slid into oncoming traffic and was killed instantly.. Jobe asked how many points Phills had scored. NBA After the Crash Friends, teammates, and family remember the career, legacy, and tragic death of former Charlotte Hornets guard Bobby Phills by Jonathan Abrams on March 31, 2015 T he boy needed a nudge from his mother. : SAN ANTONIO; Elliott Returns to Practice Following Transplant, "Phills' No. Bobby Phills we got in an accident. Silas wasnt alarmed at first. Phills said he had about six. Jobe lost his love for coaching after Phills died. Interest-Based Ads. For years, I tried to get him The Hornets game against the Chicago Bulls, which was scheduled the night of the Phills accident, was postponed. A few minutes later, according to Silas, the coach received a call from David Wesley. 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. When the Hornets returned to playing, Shinn visited the locker room before a game shortly after the accident. ESPN.com - NBA - Charlotte community remembers Phills 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. Champions (2023 film) - Wikipedia At one point, Woolard looked out his window and noticed only long legs. Bobby, he was a fast driver, Paul Silas recalled. [5] A police report said Phills and Wesley were driving "in an erratic, reckless, careless, negligent or aggressive manner. As I grew older, you kind of realize the hardships and struggles that sometimes people go through ultimately wind up shaping you for the best person you can be.". Bobby Phills Sr. recalled receiving a call from Dwayne. He said any charges must await completion of the Gerald Henderson was drafted by Charlotte in 2009, and over his fiveNBA seasons, hed grown close to the Phills family. Two people in those vehicles were hospitalized. Medical personnel removed Woolard from the car and sent him to Presbyterian Hospital. Do you know why you were able to do that without even seeing your feet and shoes? Jobe asked. Coach, we just cant deal with that, he said. A few days after being charged, Wesley made his first public statement about the incident. "We are deeply saddened by the tragic loss of this outstanding Thats the Bobby I know.. "Not only was Bobby a Bobby Ray Phills II was born on Dec. 20, 1969, in Baton Rouge, La. The Hornets were 15 games into the lockout-shortened 1999 season, with a 4-11 record, when Silas took over. He led the NCAA in three-point field goals per game (4.39) his senior year. I was always told: Dont fall in love with the horses talking about the players. Phills earned a bachelor's degree in animal science from Wesley testified that Phills, 30, was behind him when in hisrearview mirror he saw his car swerve and collide with anothervehicle. "Bobby Phills was all that you would want in a human being," Embry said. Young people changed. The Charlotte Hornets announced today that the team will honor the late Bobby Phills and re-hang his retired No. We just couldnt play hard anymore, Silas said. tremendous person, but a great husband, father and role model that In 1998, he was one of four (Charlotte, North Carolina-AP) -- Charges are going to be filed against a teammate of Bobby Phills -- the N-B-A player who was killed in a . He had to tighten his elbow, the same way his father had learned to shoot under Ben Jobe at Southern decades earlier. Thats all I can remember: Hes dead. Thats about it.. country," he said. Miller, who often joined Phills and Wesley for pregame pancake meals, maintained the flapjack routine throughout the rest of his 14-year career. CHARLOTTE, North Carolina (Ticker) -- Charlotte Hornets guard Bobby Phills was killed instantly in an automobile accident while returning home from a shootaround Wednesday morning. The emotion hung in Kendall Phillss voice as she addressed the crowd. Bobby Phills died because he was racing cars against a teammate. But him and David Wesley, they were driving at each other, just zooming, Silas said. Woolard was in too much pain to move. He played shooting guard and small forward for the National Basketball Association's Cleveland Cavaliers and Charlotte Hornets.