More than 15 years had passed since his last go-round as head coach, with the dysfunctional San Diego Clippers in 1983. Three. Wesley was twice charged with speeding, according to Mecklenburg And whenever he didnt win he talked enough trash to make you think he won. 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. The Hornets retired Bobby Phills' No. the accident scene. "He had extreme high character. Some were nice and tactful. That night, Charlotte was scheduled tohost the Chicago Bulls. Phills' jersey was originally raised at the Charlotte Coliseum on Feb. 9, 2000, following his death in an automobile accident. He still has foggy memories of his father tossing him in the air. That memory always is there with me, Davis said. charities and related organizations. We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device. Shinn found his worst fears confirmed. Additionally, his career earnings are exposed to be $40,545,600. The NBA honored Phills memory by preceding every league game on the day of his death with a moment of silence. Phills lost control of his car on a hilly curve where the posted speed limit was 45 miles an hour, Capt. A family man. 13 was used when the franchise was branded the Bobcats, the team re-retired Phills' number after rebranding back to the Hornets name in 2014-15. 13 in its practice facility, but not in the Smoothie King Center. Were you racing Bobby Phills that day? his attorney asked. By the time she returned home, Bobby had left for shootaround. Phills, 30, was killed in an automobile accident Wednesday morning. I know that everybody has a day when Gods going to call them home, and January 12, 2000, was the day God chose for Bobby. Dazed, Woolard gazed into the Porsche. When Phills built a reputation as one of the leagues best defenders, Jobe was surprised. I stopped in the middle of the street. Someone reminded him they still werent certain that Phills hadnt survived; he could just be unconscious. [5] A police report said Phills and Wesley were driving "in an erratic, reckless, careless, negligent or aggressive manner. Cavaliers President Wayne Embry gave Phills his start in the NBA by signing the guard to a 10-day contract. The game was postponed. Five months after Charlotte Hornets guard Bobby Phills died in a crash while drag racing with teammate David. Phills was killed instantly, and two people in vehicles involved in an accident were hospitalized. Wesley, the Hornets' starting point guard, has refused to talk to police, 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. 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. 10 players who died before reaching their peak Wallace taught and coached basketball at the high school, and Kendall had also been one of his students. Trey Phills said. The new Charlotte Hornets will re-retire Bobby Phills' No. 13 jersey on Then a few more. He surveyed the wreckage, concluced that Phills had not survived, and walked over to Wesley, who was standing, speechless, with his hands on his head. When the Knicks hired Walsh in 2008, Jobe came aboard as a scout, and he remains part of the Knicks organization. David Wesley Convicted of Reckless Driving - ABC News After a slew of injuries had hit the Cavaliers in 1993, he became a starter and led the team into the playoffs for the next four seasons. "He was a very in-depth person and just a treasure to be around," Moser said. Anyone would want a kid like that on their team. Florida A&M University. In New Orleans, the organization raised his no. TRAGIC ROLE FOR TRUTH PART OF PHILLS' DEATH - Mitch Albom He had to tighten his elbow, the same way his father had learned to shoot under Ben Jobe at Southern decades earlier. L.E. 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. Then David Wesleys fiance, Shannon, called. Blydenburgh, the police crash investigator, said Youre right. He saw Phillss mouth hanging open, and eyes closed. 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. Brewer noticed, too: He had the skills because he worked on it, so when he became older, now hes not that skinny little boy anymore. He paid $80 in court costs, according to Interest-Based Ads. "He had the brain power, he had the great family background. 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. 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. He had a way of making you feel like you were one of his best friends, when maybe you were just a friend, Wesley said. It just wasnt right Even [now], when I drive down the way that Bobby passed away, it just stays with me. 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. On February 9, 2000, in a game against Phills' former team, the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Hornets retired his number 13 . But those were two guys I fell in love with.. He said Phillss death would haunt him for the rest of his life. 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. Kendall walked onto the court, accompanied by Trey, Kerstie, and Brittany Dixon (Bobbys daughter from a different relationship). country," he said. We spent some long, long days, and I got some dirty looks [from Trey] sometimes, but we got it fixed, Silas said. Its things like that., She never blamed Wesley. "He had extreme high character. 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. At the end of last season, Phills was averaging 10.9 points, 3.2 rebounds and 2.7 assists a game for his career. From people that Ive talked to, they say it doesnt go away. Bridges said. There was nothing I could do to even try to get out of the way, Woolard recalled. His father, Dr. Bobby Phills, is dean of agriculture and home economics at Florida A&M University. Afterward, the team chartered to Charlotte before flying to Baton Rouge for Phillss funeral. "This is the ultimate tragedy, and our immediate thoughts and Both other drivers survived, while Phills died on the scene. Phills lost control of his car on a hilly bend. No matter who you were on the team or within the organization, Bobby Phills looked out for you. The 30-year-old player left behind a wife and two children,. He had everything. That didnt impress me at all, Jobe recalled. Phills Laid To Rest - CBS News Amanda O'Hara sits down to talk one-on-one with former Charlotte Hornets' player, Bobby Phills' widow Kendall Phills. Look, I understand the way things are with you guys, Silas told his shellshocked team. In fact, he shut MJ down once and I was really impressed. 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. The other kids are crying. Ill watch some videotape of Bobby. Or the times Phills had called him a high school coach for advice on how to guard Michael Jordan. Bobby and Kendall Phills had two children, both of whom went on to play college basketball. In 1998, he was one of four It wasnt going to be here. A minivan rear-ended the other car. Thats what shooting is all about.. She thanked the fans for the phone calls and well-wishes. Phills 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. spokesman Keith Bridges said Thursday. CHARLOTTE, Feb. 9 -- The Hornets retired Bobby Phills' No. As an assistant, Silas had often run Phills through drills during training sessions. I went up in my room and cried for an hour, Bulls guard Fred Hoiberg, who was in Charlotte for the Bulls-Hornets game, said about the news of the accident to the SunTimes. Kendall finished her speech. When the Hornets moved to New Orleans, his retired jersey went. Bobby Ray Phills II (December 20, 1969 January 12, 2000) was an American professional basketball player. I blamed the Charlotte Hornets. Has the other guy moved?, No, Woolard said. There were few dry eyesin the church. Capt. Wesley had twice been charged with speeding in Mecklenburg County, which includes Charlotte. "I remember just asking myself and asking my mom, 'Why would God let this happen to our family?" Ive got some bad news, Dwayne told his father. It was just a typical day. crash investigation, probably sometime next week. Both had played in the CBA before earning NBA roster spots, and each carried a chip on his shoulder for being overlooked. I blamed everybody. 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. Nearly Two Decades Later, Hornets Remember Bobby Phills Woolard laid his head down before hearing a voice. family background. Once I opened that floodgate, Wesley said, I had to say it to that person and to the next person and the next person., Wesleys performance suffered. Because youve been putting on your socks and shoes since you were 6 or 7 years old. Wesley's car wasn't involved in the accident, and he was questioned at the scene. And we only passed maybe one, two cars, before the accident." Phills: But Bobby Phills was driving too fast, and so was David Wesley, and Phills' car crashed, and he died instantly. It also altered the lives of many others stillaffected by thetragedyyears later. She walked off the court with a piece of herself still forever gone, but knowing that her husband had not been forgotten. Phills lost control of his Porsche on a hilly curve where the 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. According to the NBA, there have been three other active players In October, the reserve guard Eldridge Recasner was left with a broken shoulder and partly collapsed lung after an accident. ESPN.com - NBA - Hornets' Phills, 30, killed in car crash Kendall Phills went running with a friend the morning Bobby died. Veering into the coming traffic, his black 1997 Porsche with a vanity license plate that read ''SLAM'N'' was hit by an Oldsmobile Cutlass Sierra driven by Robert Taylor Woolard Jr., 31, absorbing the impact on the driver's side door. In February, Phills was charged with driving 60 mph in a 35-mph Once, Jobe walked into the gym to find Phillss younger brother rebounding for him. ''A fourth car driven by David Wesley was in close proximity to the collision at the time it occurred and has been identified by a witness as driving at a high rate of speed also,'' the report said. In the latest episode ofBeyond the Paint, which will air on NBA TVon Tuesday, Dec. 6 at 11 p.m. in a straight line," he said. A few minutes later, according to Silas, the coach received a call from David Wesley. PRO BASKETBALL; Hornets' Phills Killed in Car Crash, https://www.nytimes.com/2000/01/13/sports/pro-basketball-hornets-phills-killed-in-car-crash.html. Rabalais: Bobby Phills' jersey returns to the rafters in Charlotte He was not only a world class athlete, but also a world 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 was in his third year of a seven-year, $33 million contract. On the morning of January 12, 2000, the Hornets had just finished a morning shootaround. Hes got a life plan. You stepped into my life on May 20, 2000, like an angel, Lisa Sealy wrote in a note for an event marking the first anniversary of Bobby Phillss death. "Bobby Phills was all that you would want in a human being," Embry said. Before long, Jobe noticed slips of paper arriving under his office door Phills had begun charting his daily makes and misses. College of Engineering Sciences, Technology and Agriculture at The team said Phills was killed instantly. Some of the coaches tried to restrain her. "Tyvola Road was a road you would take to watch the 25,000 people crowded into that little coliseum to cheer on the Hornets. The two other drivers were hospitalized and listed in stable condition. 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. When something like that happens, you blame everybody. Phills attended Southern University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and was a member of the Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity. He heard the name Phills. A jolt of recognition hit Woolard: Oh my gosh. 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. 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. CHARLOTTE, N.C. Bobby Phills of the Charlotte Hornets was killed in a car wreck Wednesday shortly after a morning practice at the team's arena. The Hornets were 15 games into the lockout-shortened 1999 season, with a 4-11 record, when Silas took over. When Im by myself, thats when I cry. Claude Mills, the father of Phills's former teammate, Chris Mills, was. He was our guy, and he was going to a better place.. I dont know who was at fault. Anthony Mason was just like, Man, whyd it have to be him?. Medical personnel removed Woolard from the car and sent him to Presbyterian Hospital. 65-mph zone on Interstate 485. Thursday, January 13, 2000; Page D01 Clay Moser, an assistant coach when Phills played for the CBA's Hes doing positive things in the community, for the league, [for his] family, everything. 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 was always told: Dont fall in love with the horses talking about the players. Who knows what happened? 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. Charges to be filed against Phills' teammate in deadly crash - NewsOn6.com Phills played in the NBA for nine seasons, his first six with the Cleveland Cavaliers and last three with the Charlotte Hornets. She had this fantastic crush on Bobby, Wallace recalled. 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 always seems like something happens to those types of guys, said Chucky Brown, who had played with Phills on the Hornets. averaged 10.9 points, 3.2 rebounds and 2.7 assists for his career. The Hornets brought the franchises history with the team to Phillss native Louisiana, where he never played professionally. He had already been admitted to the veterinarian school, but someone convinced him he could make money [in basketball], Jobe said. Phills died while traveling on Tyvola Road in Charlotte, North Carolina,after driving at a high rate of speed with then-teammate David Wesley. Stunned and tearful teammates and Hornets officials gathered at NBA Player Killed | WIRED 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. That moment that mistake ended Phillss life at 30 years old. The Hornets' guard lost control of his 1997 Porsche 993 Cabriolet and collided head-on with a vehicle heading towards him. If you would like to change your settings or withdraw consent at any time, the link to do so is in our privacy policy accessible from our home page.. He had all the things that you want in a human being. Phills's death was another in a series of shocks to hit North Carolina sports in recent months. I know people dont think it, but its easy because its just you and the basket. Jobe sat Phills down. Phills spoke with his coach, Paul Silas, before sliding behind the wheel of his 1997 Porsche 993 Cabriolet. PRO BASKETBALL; Hornets' Phills Killed in Car Crash 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. This gave Silas some hope, and he approached the car. It is so sad to hear of Bobby Phills' accident. Bridges said Phills' 1997 convertible, with the vanity plate In December 1998, Wesley was charged with driving 79 mph in 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. After learning that his wife was pregnant, hed bought the new car in preparation for the arrival of their child. Active in the community, Phills volunteered for children's After the team's morning session, Phills and David Wesley decided to race home from the Hornets' facility. . Ill go through the photo albums. We had some great talks and some great times. 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. Guys cant push him around on the court. Silas looked at the wreck and into Phillss car. The owner is out here, she said to herself. Phills was traveling behind teammate David Wesley at over 100mph (160km/h) when his Porsche spun and crossed into oncoming traffic. 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. By Paul Nowell ''The skid marks indicate he was not going in a straight line,'' he 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 1991-92 season. He meant a lot to this city, Jordan said at a press conference before the ceremony. "[6] Wesley was later convicted of reckless driving after being cleared of a racing charge. 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. 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. Any kid that tells me he wants to be a doctor now, Ill give him a scholarship and just let him practice, Jobe said. ''. I can't tell you what he meant to the Cavs. He slid into oncoming traffic and was killed instantly.. He was convicted of reckless driving and sentenced to community service, but a judge decided that enough reasonable doubt existed to acquit him of the racing charge. Bobby Phills died because he was racing cars against a teammate. And as the captain of the Charlotte Hornets, the 6-foot-5-inch guard was a talented, highly-regarded basketball player. Phills also was a finalist for the NBA Sportsman of the Year award in 1998. I think it changes as Im coming up to it. So it didnt matter if he was racing down the street, if he was walking down the street that was his time. 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For a rookie like myself, he was the veteran guy that you patterned yourself after. Phills, a 6-foot-5 defensive stopper and a team leader, was one of the Hornets top reserves. "Not only was Bobby a tremendous person, but a great husband, father and role model that everyone respected and admired. She called him a short time later, wondering if she should make pancakes at home or if she should meet him out. Wesley remained with the franchise when the Hornets moved from Charlotte to New Orleans in 2002. He meant a lot to the community. Phills had arrived at Southerns laboratory high school after his father became dean of the universitys school of agriculture andconsumer sciences. 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. Nobody was there to validate him, Kendall said. 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. "It looks like they were drag-racing, which is legally defined ''Bobby was a solid person,'' said Wayne Embry, the Cavaliers' president. His wife. Friends, teammates, and family remember the career, legacy, and tragic death of former Charlotte Hornets guard Bobby Phills. While the No. We come down to the front of the arena, out to the light, and Im calling my wife to meet at the Pancake House. And I didnt [do anything wrong]. by signing the guard to a 10-day contract. That season, he scored 52 points against Alcorn State, hitting 10 3s in a game attended by several NBA scouts. The basketball was our way of connecting, and thats how Trey and I have been., A few other factors played into Treys budding confidence. L.E. Two days later, Jordan went 9-for-26 against Phills. Cookie Policy. She never really considered returning to Louisiana. But the dude did the right things.. Things changed, Jobe said. All rights reserved. He joined the Hornets in 1997 after six years with Cleveland and Phills spent the bulk of his high school career in the paint, where he was often outsized but seldom outmuscled. He was my partner in crime, he said. The two formed a fast friendship. Hornets Retire Phills' No. 13 | NBA.com It hit another car, which in turn was struck in the rear by a minivan. The Hornets returned to the court January 15, three days after Phillss death, with a loss to the Knicks in New York. 13 remains the only number to be retired by the team. Blydenburgh, the crash investigator. Charlotte Hornets' Bobby Phills Killed In Car Crash - Brief Article had been practicing for Wednesday night's game with the Chicago Hornets' Phills dies in car wreck - Deseret News 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. "This is the ultimate tragedy, and our immediate thoughts and prayers are with his wife, Kendall, children and family," Hornets owner George Shinn said in a statement. Miller went undrafted out of Purdue and played briefly in Italy before latching on with Charlotte. If you had a son, Wallace said, you would want him to grow up to be like Bobby Phills., Wallace decided to stop coaching not long after Phillss death. Of course, when I found out who it was, I started doubting myself, Woolard said. What did I do wrong? We just lost and hes ready to go to swimming. It was the first number that the Hornets franchise had ever retired. Sometimes people dont believe that type of person exists. Wallace mandated that all of his players learn to play in the post. He was lucky to have survived. I think thats why we always got along so well., The day of the accident, the NBA postponed the Hornets game against Chicago. 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 . He was named to the N.B.A. "The skid marks indicate he was not going in a straight line," he said. ", Active in the community, Phills volunteered for children's charities and related organizations. He was someone that you would want your children to be like.". Police said he was driving drunk. It was a chaotic few weeks. 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. After the Crash 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. Phills and teammate David Wesley were racing each. You need to let me coach him, Brewer said. She drove closer and saw the police and emergency personnel. [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. "Bobby Phills represented the very best of the NBA," Stern said. team will have a moment of silence for Phills before their home games. "SLAMN," left skid marks several hundred feet long and came to 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. He advised Phills to pursue professional basketball for a couple of years, and if it didnt work out, to return to school. He was a member of Alpha Phi Alpha. A body covered by a white sheet rested inside. From nowhere, a voice popped into her head: Bobby is dead. His Hornets teammates. Kendall hoped to see her husbands legacy return to an NBA arena when New Orleans changed its name to the Pelicans last season. [7], The Hornets retired Phills' #13 jersey on February 9, 2000, during halftime of a game vs. Phills' former team, the Cavaliers. She got in her car. He was someone that you would want your children to be like.".