Woolard, an insurance adjuster and appraiser and native North Carolinian, had just finished inspecting one vehicle and was headed uptown to check out another. It was just a typical day. Jobe asked how many points Phills had scored. Charges to be filed against Phills' teammate in deadly crash - NewsOn6.com past, according to The Charlotte Observer. The two other drivers were hospitalized and listed in stable condition. Silas looked at the wreck and into Phillss car. Interest-Based Ads. [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. By: News On 6. 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. Bobby Phills, the Charlotte Hornets guard who parlayed a 10-day contract into a nine-year National Basketball Association career and who was once called by Michael Jordan the toughest defender. In that time, the Charlotte Hornets, the team for whom the former Southern and . He seemed like a great person on and off the court, Trey said. ON PRO BASKETBALL; The Memories Linger In the Phills Tragedy Someone reminded him they still werent certain that Phills hadnt survived; he could just be unconscious. 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. 10 players who died before reaching their peak Hornets Retire Phills' No. 13 | NBA.com Having coached there, I felt he didn't 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. [8] His jersey hung from the rafters of the Charlotte Coliseum until the franchise relocated to New Orleans in 2002; it was then displayed in the New Orleans Arena until 2013. He was fourth on the team in scoring this season. Phills became a rotation player, and as a senior he led the country with an average of 4.4 made 3-pointers per game. But I needed them because of their academic abilities, so when the dean asks about the academic average of the team, Im going to be way up there. Phills surprised Jobe by approaching the coach after his freshman season in 1987-88 and declaring that he wanted to earn a spot in the rotation. He played college basketball for the Yale Bulldogs and now plays for the Greensboro Swarm of the NBA G League. Honestly, I dont know what happened after that. . Hornets guard killed in car accident - January 13, 2000 Bridges said Phills' 1997 convertible, with the vanity plate When the Hornets moved to New Orleans, his retired jersey went. Sioux Falls Skyforce, said Phills had wanted to be a veterinarian. The Hornets had come together and shown admirable resilience after Phillss death, but by the time the postseason arrived, they were ready to fold. successfully completed the National Safety Council's She never really considered returning to Louisiana. Youre right. CHARLOTTE, North Carolina (Ticker) -- Charlotte Hornets guard Bobby Phills was killed instantly in an automobile accident while returning home from a shootaround Wednesday morning. I would give scholarships to kids sometimes and I knew they werent going to play, Jobe, now 82, explained. "This is the ultimate tragedy, and our immediate thoughts and [They discussed a] lot of little things that when youre a youngster coming into the league, you dont think about, Miller 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. [5] A police report said Phills and Wesley were driving "in an erratic, reckless, careless, negligent or aggressive manner. The Hornets were 15 games into the lockout-shortened 1999 season, with a 4-11 record, when Silas took over. The 30-year-old guard had just left a shootaround at the Charlotte Coliseum when the two-car accident happened, club spokesman Jonathan Supranowitz said. He had all the things that you want in a human being. From people that Ive talked to, they say it doesnt go away. He was the franchises future a brash, bowling-ball point guard who expected immediate NBA stardom. Soon, David Jovanovic, the Charlotte Hornets equipment manager, placed Bobby Phillss jersey in the bronze casket. He still has foggy memories of his father tossing him in the air. At the time of Phillss accident, Wesley was driving on a suspended license, after he had failed to comply with the terms of a citation he had received several months earlier in Alabama. He was a member of Alpha Phi Alpha. Witnesses said teammate David Wesley, the Hornets' starting point guard, also may have been driving too fast in his own Porsche, according to police. I can't tell you what he meant to the Cavs. A minivan rear-ended the other car, police said. He watched Kendall experience such pride and sorrow at center court, and when shed finished speaking, Henderson walked out to Kendall and embraced her. Alongside earning from his games, Phills was also active in charitable works. class humanitarian.". College of Engineering Sciences, Technology and Agriculture at Phills lost control of his Porsche on a hilly curve where 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. team will have a moment of silence for Phills before their home games. The investigation is expected to take at least a week. as spontaneous speed competition," Charlotte-Mecklenburg police PRO BASKETBALL; Hornets' Phills Killed in Car Crash He chose Yale, where he will begin his freshman year in the fall. Who knows what happened? 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. Phills was killed instantly, and two people in vehicles involved in an accident were hospitalized. Phills left Silass office. Trey gained statewide recognition in North Carolina while playing for Charlotte Christian School. The 30-year-old player left behind a wife and two children,. Wesley, the Hornets' starting point guard, has refused to talk to police, That memory always is there with me, Davis said. had been practicing for Wednesday night's game with the Chicago Bobby Phills died in a car crash after leaving a Hornets practice in January 2000 when Trey was 3 years old. Phills approached him after the session. I blamed his parents. Friends, teammates, and family remember the career, legacy, and tragic death of former Charlotte Hornets guard Bobby Phills. Phills Sr. believes he could have easily hit his head on the deck. 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. Medical personnel removed Woolard from the car and sent him to Presbyterian Hospital. University. An example of data being processed may be a unique identifier stored in a cookie. Treys not ready yet. Kendall did decide to let Brewer coach Bobby Phills III, known as Trey to his teammates. Im on my way there now, and its really bad. Dwayne decided not to say anything to his mother until he knew more. To Kendall, the legacy he left behind in Charlotte was a higher achievement, one that represented Bobbys contributions to the community as well as on the court. Cameras filmed a frozen Wesley standing a few feet from Phills's car, in obvious shock. Athleticism. On February 9, 2000, in a game against Phills' former team, the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Hornets retired his number 13 . player. Associated Press Wesley's car wasn't involved in the accident, and he was questioned at the scene. A native of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Phills attended Baton Rouge's Southern University. Bridges said it will be at least several days before investigators reconstruct what happened. He had to tighten his elbow, the same way his father had learned to shoot under Ben Jobe at Southern decades earlier. Phills, a 6-foot-5 defensive stopper and a team leader, was one of the Hornets top reserves. But him and David Wesley, they were driving at each other, just zooming, Silas said. The game was postponed. "Bobby Phills represented the very best of the NBA," Stern said. By Paul Nowell The police report said Phills was traveling eastbound on West Tyvola Road just before 11 a.m., less than a mile from the Charlotte Coliseum. But with all the things he had going for him, he made one stupid mistake and it cost him his life.. 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.. Phills agreed, and a couple weeks later, he approached the coach. We never talked about it. Hornets' Phills Killed in Car Crash Coach, we just cant deal with that, he said. I'm just going to keep working.' The Hornets selected Davis with the third pick in the 1999 draft. Phills was killed last Jan. 12 in a car accident following a morning shootaround. Phills died instantly. "He just left, and I didn't hug him, I didn't tell him that I loved him. You cant let us look at the tape for that long, Phills said. The Charlotte Hornets announced today that the team will honor the late Bobby Phills and re-hang his retired No. Phills said he had about six. Both other drivers survived, while Phills died on the scene. 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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. I dont think you can get out of that date that your maker has ordained for you., Derrick Brewer could see that the 11-year-old was not ready to star on his AAU team. In New Orleans, the organization raised his no. He was considered one of the team leaders. When Minnesotas Malik Sealy died in a car accident the same year as Phills, she offered Sealys widow, Lisa, both financial and emotional support. After the New Orleans team re-branded themselves as the New Orleans Pelicans - thereby relinquishing the Hornets name and their previous history in Charlotte - the Bobcats became the Hornets and merged the team's past tenures into a new history for the franchise. After the dawn jog, she came home and took their son to school, where she remained for an hour or so, chatting with other parents. Three. While the No. Then David Wesleys fiance, Shannon, called. Youve got a great wife. It was capitalism that hooked him. Drafted in the second round in 1991 by the Milwaukee Bucks, he was cut from the team that December, played in the Continental Basketball Association, then was signed by the Cleveland Cavaliers to a 10-day contract on March 19, 1992. He played shooting guard and small forward for the National Basketball Association's Cleveland Cavaliers and Charlotte Hornets. 2023 ESPN Internet Ventures. 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. Phills Killed in Three-Car Accident You always thought you had something to prove, said Wesley, who made his career as a strong, table-setting point guard. 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. On November 1, 2014, the newly renamed team re-honored his jersey; it currently hangs from the rafters of the Spectrum Center.[9][10]. crash investigation, probably sometime next week. I had some real jocks they werent interested in anything but playing ball. 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"He could have been one of the foremost black leaders in the country," Jobe said. He saw Phillss mouth hanging open, and eyes closed. The NBA has suffered another tragic loss in another fatal highway accident. He advised Phills to pursue professional basketball for a couple of years, and if it didnt work out, to return to school. the accident scene. Woolard laid his head down before hearing a voice. What you doing? Dwayne asked. 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. Over his nine-year career, he averaged 11.0 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 2.7 assists per game. David Stern, the N.B.A. Phills's car, with the vanity plate "SLAMN," left skid marks several hundred feet long and came to rest in one of the opposite lanes, Bridges said. He joined the team in 1997 after six years with Cleveland. The emotion hung in Kendall Phillss voice as she addressed the crowd. Davis was in his own car when the crash occurred. 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. He paid $80 in court costs, and On January 12, 2000, Bobby was involved in a car crash after reportedly racing with teammate David Wesley at more than 75 mph. Wesley had twice been charged with speeding in Mecklenburg County, which includes Charlotte. 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. Police said he was driving drunk. The other kids are crying. While there, Phills Sr. had slipped off a deck and fallen into a lake near Bobbys home. That's 107 m.p.h. Things changed, Jobe said. It also altered the lives of many others stillaffected by thetragedyyears later. 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. 60 mph in a 45-mph zone. It was the first number that the Hornets franchise had ever retired. Bobby Ray Phills II was born on Dec. 20, 1969, in Baton Rouge, La. This gave Silas some hope, and he approached the car. 65-mph zone on Interstate 485. Jobe viewed Phills as a bench player, someone with high grades who could raise the teams collective grade point average. He had already been admitted to the veterinarian school, but someone convinced him he could make money [in basketball], Jobe said. You cant drive that fast. Phills, Silas said, told him it was not a big deal. From nowhere, a voice popped into her head: Bobby is dead. Phills played in the NBA for nine seasons, his first six with the Cleveland Cavaliers and last three with the Charlotte Hornets. Manage Settings Phills Educational Foundation.". Phills, 30, died instantly when his black Porsche collided with another . County court records. It always seems like something happens to those types of guys, said Chucky Brown, who had played with Phills on the Hornets. Some were nice and tactful. Shinn found his worst fears confirmed. Often, he would volunteer for children's charities and related organizations. Rabalais: Bobby Phills' jersey returns to the rafters in Charlotte "Not only was Bobby a So I feel like even he knew that there was more to life than just the sport. "He had the brain power, he had the great family background. He is also survived by his parents. 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. The Hornets will re-retire the jersey of Bobby Phills, who died in a car accident on January 12, 2000 at 30 years old, on November 1 during halftime of their game against the Memphis Grizzlies. Bobby Phills, the Charlotte Hornets guard who parlayed a 10-day contract into a nine-year National Basketball Association career and who was once called by Michael Jordan the toughest defender he had ever faced, was killed instantly yesterday when the speeding Porsche he was driving spun out of control and collided with another vehicle moments after he left a morning practice. Phills, 30, was killed in an automobile accident Wednesday morning. I think it changes as Im coming up to it. 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 . When he died, Brad Miller and Baron Davis were both beginning their NBA careers, but in opposite ways. Follow Tyler Conway (@jtylerconway) on Twitter. He heard the name Phills. A jolt of recognition hit Woolard: Oh my gosh. Because youve been putting on your socks and shoes since you were 6 or 7 years old. Tell everybody where Daddy is, Kendall Phills instructed her 3-year-old son. "Bobby Phills was all that you would want in a human being," Embry said. Furlow (1980) in car crashes and Nick Vanos (1987) in an air crash. For a rookie like myself, he was the veteran guy that you patterned yourself after. Kendall called Dwayne Phills, who was with his mother, Mary, in Baton Rouge. A few minutes later, according to Silas, the coach received a call from David Wesley. Wednesday, February 2nd 2000, 12:00 am. She was grateful for the Hornets organizations support. 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. Now go shoot a thousand shots a day, Jobe said. As a Laker fan, I remember him with Cleveland as the defensive stopper. 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. Bobby Phills of the Charlotte Hornets was killed recently in a car crash shortly after a morning practice at the teams arena. It just dont make no sense. Phills died while traveling on Tyvola Road in Charlotte, North Carolina,after driving at a high rate of speed with then-teammate David Wesley. Aside from basketball, Phills also bicycled and played golf. A few days after being charged, Wesley made his first public statement about the incident. spokesman Keith Bridges said Thursday. I wanted him to be there representing us. I do for having met someone like him so early in my career.. Wesley: 'It gets a little easier and easier each day' - ESPN Those guys were Bobby Phills and Muggsy Bogues, he said. 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. Yeah, I concentrate better, Phills said, because I dont want to chase a rebound up in the bleachers.. 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. 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.. And as if the axle of a wheel suddenly gave way, everyone connected to Bobby Phills fell apart. Remembering Charlotte Hornets' Player Bobby Phills - YouTube court records. We had some great talks and some great times. Michael Jordan called Phills the toughest defender he ever faced. After the Crash 13 was where it belonged. Four months after Phills' death, another NBA star from the movie "Eddie", Malik Sealy, died in a road accident at age 30. The black car carried a vanity plate that read SLAMN. That was his dream car, recalled Phillss younger brother Dwayne. Clay Moser, an assistant coach when Phills played for the CBA's In that series, Silas sensed that his players had nothing left to give. ESPN.com - null Wire Phills Laid To Rest - CBS News The Charlotte Hornets had retired Phillss jersey shortly after his death. Not only was Bobby a tremendous person, but a great husband, father and role model that everyone respected and admired. We spent some long, long days, and I got some dirty looks [from Trey] sometimes, but we got it fixed, Silas said. He was a loving father and husband, Davis said of Phills. I had gone out before him, and he was passing me, and he was going close to 100 miles an hour. Silas approached Phills at practice the next day. 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 . Just silence. Wesley remained with the franchise when the Hornets moved from Charlotte to New Orleans in 2002. The pair rebuilt Phillss shot, with Jobe urging Phills to keep the elbow of his shooting hand under the ball. "He was a very in-depth person and just a treasure to be around," Moser said. In October, the reserve guard Eldridge Recasner was left with a broken shoulder and partly collapsed lung after an accident. He gets rebounds. For years, I tried to get him to go on to med school like he talked about when he was a kid.". 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. The ceremony included a . country," he 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. Cavaliers President Wayne Embry gave Phills his start in the NBA by signing the guard to a 10-day contract. Claude Mills, the father of Phills's former teammate, Chris Mills, was. Princeton, Stanford, Harvard, and other elite colleges recruited him. When the Hornets returned to playing, Shinn visited the locker room before a game shortly after the accident. [7], The Hornets retired Phills' #13 jersey on February 9, 2000, during halftime of a game vs. Phills' former team, the Cavaliers. 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. 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. He said Phillss death would haunt him for the rest of his life. I was always told: Dont fall in love with the horses talking about the players. tremendous person, but a great husband, father and role model that David just didnt want to play, Silas recalled. The speed limit where Phills 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. His Porsche veered into oncoming traffic and crashed into two other vehicles. executive vice president of basketball operations. was in the third year of a seven-year, $33 million contract. From what I can see, he hasnt moved or done anything.. [Those] were a couple of things that sparked our attention. Meanwhile, younger sister Kerstie is on the same track. (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 . [1] He was selected by the Milwaukee Bucks in the 1991 NBA draft (45th overall). The new Charlotte Hornets will re-retire Bobby Phills' No. 13 jersey on