"He was a very in-depth person and just a treasure to be around," Moser said. I can't tell you what he meant to the Cavs. Of course, when I found out who it was, I started doubting myself, Woolard said. Five months after Charlotte Hornets guard Bobby Phills died in a crash while drag racing with teammate David. Tests showed he was legally drunk. Treys not ready yet. Kendall did decide to let Brewer coach Bobby Phills III, known as Trey to his teammates. Wesley looked at Trey that night and almost seemed surprised that he had to look up to meet his friends sons gaze. Before sending Phills to the gym, he had one more lesson for his player. 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. 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. Hes doing positive things in the community, for the league, [for his] family, everything. And as the captain of the Charlotte Hornets, the 6-foot-5-inch guard was a talented, highly-regarded basketball player. It just dont make no sense. It took firefighters more than two hours to pry Phills's body from the car. The basketball was our way of connecting, and thats how Trey and I have been., A few other factors played into Treys budding confidence. class humanitarian.". We just couldnt play hard anymore, Silas said. 13 jersey in a halftime ceremony during its game against Memphis on Saturday, Nov. 1. At 6' 5" and 220 pounds,[3] he was said to more resemble an NFL linebacker than a basketball player. A native of Baton Rouge, LA, Phills attended Southern University in Baton Rouge and earned a bachelors degree in animal science (pre-veterinary medicine). He joined the team in 1997 after six years with Cleveland. He answered, crying. The other day, I was filling out this application. She pulled in behind George Shinns car. Both had played in the CBA before earning NBA roster spots, and each carried a chip on his shoulder for being overlooked. He was every girls husband, every childs father. everyone respected and admired. Wallace mandated that all of his players learn to play in the post. Ill go through the photo albums. His Porsche veered into oncoming traffic and. A minivan rear-ended the other car. Phills attended Southern University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and was a member of the Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity. ", Active in the community, Phills volunteered for children's charities and related organizations. It didnt look like Phills was alive. In the latest episode ofBeyond the Paint, which will air on NBA TVon Tuesday, Dec. 6 at 11 p.m. You need to let me coach him, Brewer said. That's 107 m.p.h. The 30-year-old player left behind a wife and two children,. Florida A&M University. Charlotte Hornet guard Bobby Phills was killed Wednesday when he crashed into a car while speeding after practice, police said. Its things like that., She never blamed Wesley. OK, youre alive. Im on my way there now, and its really bad. Dwayne decided not to say anything to his mother until he knew more. 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. 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. Jobe lost his love for coaching after Phills died. Clay Moser, an assistant coach when Phills played for the CBA's The older you get, the more you appreciate people like him. posted speed was 45 mph. Bobby Phills died because he was racing cars against a teammate. His community. The ceremony included a . 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. The following season, on the morning of Phillss death, Silas fumed at his team. One of the most active Hornets players in the community, Phills was a tireless volunteer for childrens charities and related organizations. Capt. Phillss former teammates Todd Fuller, Chucky Brown, and David Wesley attended the ceremony. I blamed his parents. Its not good. Silas thought it over: You know what, Bobby? Phills was killed instantly. Bobby, you cant do that, he told him. Charlotte finished the season with a 49-33 record, but lost to Philadelphia in the first round of the playoffs. player. His teammate Derrick Coleman, driving the sport utility vehicle in which Recasner was a passenger, was arrested on a drunken driving charge. 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. David just didnt want to play, Silas recalled. 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. That thing with Bobby Phills, Im telling you, it almost made me lose my faith. Heck, I got angry. 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.. Manage Settings 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. Bobby Phills' tragic death in 2000 shocked and saddened the basketball world Jan. 12, 2000 was just another practice day for Bobby Phills and the Charlotte Hornets. We come out of the building and thats where we were going., Thats the routine they were following the morning of the accident. He reached for a towel and used it to blindfold Phills. 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. In that time, the Charlotte Hornets, the team for whom the former Southern and . He was not only a world class athlete, but also a world "The skid marks indicate he was not going in a straight line," he said. 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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. 65-mph zone on Interstate 485. Bobby came back the next day and said: 'I want to stay here, Coach. The two lived close to one another, and after games, Phillss wife, Kendall, often drove Silass wife, Carolyn, home from the Charlotte Coliseum. Wallace taught and coached basketball at the high school, and Kendall had also been one of his students. Bulls. ''The skid marks indicate he was not going in a straight line,'' he said. country," he said. Its kind of like me and my dad we spent a bunch of time on the court. I know why you wanted me to do this by myself and you didnt want anyone throwing the ball back to me, Phills said. I dont know his face. Just silence. Now here comes the agents, and they were pushing him and pushing him, Jobe recalled. A taxi minivan then rear-ended Woolards Oldsmobile. To be honest, Trey said, she might be tougher than me on the court., As promising as the Phills childrens basketball careers have been, Bobby Phillss college coach Jobe hopes to see them honor their fathers legacy off the court. The Hornets selected Davis with the third pick in the 1999 draft. wrecked is 45 mph. 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. I'm just going to keep working.' I think thats why we always got along so well., The day of the accident, the NBA postponed the Hornets game against Chicago. It is so sad to hear of Bobby Phills' accident. For a long time, I couldnt think of a time when I wasnt thinking about him, Wesley said. I do for having met someone like him so early in my career.. zone on Main Street in Pineville, N.C. Court records show he paid a $25 fine and $86 in court costs. A family man. Anthony Mason was just like, Man, whyd it have to be him?. From nowhere, a voice popped into her head: Bobby is dead. past, according to The Charlotte Observer. Miller was unsure what to do. Look, I understand the way things are with you guys, Silas told his shellshocked team. After starting her college career at Wagner, Kerstie transferred and is currently a redshirt sophomore for Florida Gulf Coast University. Aside from basketball, Phills also bicycled and played golf. The Hornets' guard lost control of his 1997 Porsche 993 Cabriolet and collided head-on with a vehicle heading towards him. Dont bother this boy. It was the first number that the Hornets franchise had ever retired. Two people in those vehicles were hospitalized. 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. We believed in offense first, defense second, he said. In many cases, thats all they had the intellect to do. Phills, 30, died instantly when his black Porsche collided with another . A few minutes later, according to Silas, the coach received a call from David Wesley. Bobby Ray Phills II was born on Dec. 20, 1969, in Baton Rouge, La. Rob was in an accident, she said. He was going 107 m.p.h. We spent some long, long days, and I got some dirty looks [from Trey] sometimes, but we got it fixed, Silas said. Phills, 30, was killed in an automobile accident Wednesday morning. The two hit speeds that authorities later estimated topped 100 mph, traveling east on West Tyvola Road. Phills and teammate David Wesley were racing each. It was just a typical day. You cant drive that fast. Phills, Silas said, told him it was not a big deal. Wesley's car was not involved in the accident, and he was questioned for a few minutes at the scene. He touched all of our lives, said Bob Bass, the Hornets executive vice president of basketball operations. These must be some tall guys, he thought. Cookie Policy. Shortly after that, Charlotte Bobcats majority owner Michael Jordan announced that the franchise had applied to restore the Hornets name in Charlotte. The finality of it didntcross his mind until Kendall called again and he heard the words, Hes dead., That moment just sat in my mind, Dwayne said. His Hornets teammates. reserve. prayers are with his wife, Kendall, children and family," Hornets Coach, Wesley said. Bridges said Phills' 1997 convertible, with the vanity plate While taking Advanced Placement classes at Charlotte Christian, his grade point average hovered near 5.0. See the article in its original context from. I blamed him. Police said his car collided head-on with a vehicle headed to the arena. Obsessing over everything that went wrong against Milwaukee wasnt good for the teams psyche. Shinn found his worst fears confirmed. Hes got a life plan. He was our guy, and he was going to a better place.. They actually grew up with him, and they understood what he brought to this city. I knew if I could just get on the court after it happened, that it would give me a moments peace, even if it was only five minutes, Wesley said. Bobby Phills we got in an accident. Silas wasnt alarmed at first. An autopsy on Phills was to be performed at the medical examiner's office. ET,Phills' family and friends looked back on the tragedy while updating their family life more than a decade-and-a-half later. Not only was Bobby a tremendous person, but a great husband, father and role model that everyone respected and admired. Police said the men were racing their Porsches at speeds of morethan 100 mph when Phills crashed. Amanda OHara sits down with former Charlotte Hornets player, Bobby Phills family to discuss their foundation and Phills kids goals. The NBA honored Phills memory by preceding every league game on the day of his death with a moment of silence. Absolutely not, Wesley responded. 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. I just remember guys crying, said Stephen Silas, who worked as a scout on his fathers staff. As a Laker fan, I remember him with Cleveland as the defensive stopper. L.E. Maybe he didnt say that, Shinn thought, trying to rationalize what hed heard. That didnt impress me at all, Jobe recalled. Having coached there, I felt he didn't This gave Silas some hope, and he approached the car. She thanked the fans for the phone calls and well-wishes. Afterward, the team chartered to Charlotte before flying to Baton Rouge for Phillss funeral. Who knows what happened? Phills lost control of his car on a hilly curve where the posted speed limit was 45 miles an hour, Capt. Even as he made the short trek to the scene, Shinn kept thinking, Maybe I heard him wrong. Three. 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.. 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. "It's shocking.". Bobby Phills had always wanted to be an All-Star, she said. Nell Redmond/AP Photo Kendall Phills at a 2001 memorial service for her husband. A few days after being charged, Wesley made his first public statement about the incident. The vehicle skidded several hundred feet and into oncoming traffic, where it collided head-on with another car. He was perfect. In one game, Phills hounded Jordan into 9-for-27 shooting. "He touched all of our lives," said Bob Bass, the Hornets' executive vice president of basketball operations. He paid $80 in court costs, and had been practicing for Wednesday night's game with the Chicago 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. spokesman Keith Bridges said Thursday. . Thursday, January 13, 2000; Page D01 It was a chaotic few weeks. 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 . Ill watch some videotape of Bobby. Bobby, he was a fast driver, Paul Silas recalled. The Associated Press The police examining the black Porsche driven by Bobby Phills in his fatal car crash Wednesday. Wesley, the Hornets' starting point guard, has refused to talk to police, [4] In 1996, Michael Jordan remarked that Phills was the toughest defender he had ever faced. From people that Ive talked to, they say it doesnt go away. Some of our partners may process your data as a part of their legitimate business interest without asking for consent. When Minnesotas Malik Sealy died in a car accident the same year as Phills, she offered Sealys widow, Lisa, both financial and emotional support. Shooting is the easiest of the skills. The NBA has suffered another tragic loss in another fatal highway accident. The other kids are crying. She had this fantastic crush on Bobby, Wallace recalled. I stopped in the middle of the street. That night, Charlotte was scheduled tohost the Chicago Bulls. He was the franchises future a brash, bowling-ball point guard who expected immediate NBA stardom. County court records. Kendall called Dwayne Phills, who was with his mother, Mary, in Baton Rouge. Phills also was a finalist for the NBA Sportsman of the Year award in 1998. ''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. But Bobby Phills would want us to play hard, and he would want us to win. Wesley started against the Knicks that night and missed nine of 11 shots. The Milwaukee Bucks had pummeled Charlotte by 50 points two days earlier. Phills became a rotation player, and as a senior he led the country with an average of 4.4 made 3-pointers per game. Every day, every night, he told reporters. In 1998, he was one of four when he lost control of his black Porsche. As an assistant, Silas had often run Phills through drills during training sessions. He had already been admitted to the veterinarian school, but someone convinced him he could make money [in basketball], Jobe said. Interest-Based Ads. Coleman was arrested on a drunken driving charge. Silas looked at the wreck and into Phillss car. 's sportsmanship award. Several hundred feet of skid marks, estimated by witnesses to be about 150 yards, were made by Phills's vehicle. 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. He came into his own when he got here to Charlotte. Over his nine-year career, he averaged 11.0 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 2.7 assists per game. Bobby Phills of the Charlotte Hornets was killed recently in a car crash shortly after a morning practice at the team's arena. He had only recently purchased the Oldsmobile Cutlass he was driving when he turned onto Tyvola. Charlotte Hornets guard Bobby Phills was killed Wednesday when his speeding Porsche collided with a car near the Charlotte Coliseum, where Phills had just finished a game-day practice. Friends, teammates, and family remember the career, legacy, and tragic death of former Charlotte Hornets guard Bobby Phills. 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. Follow Tyler Conway (@jtylerconway) on Twitter. 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. Medical personnel removed Woolard from the car and sent him to Presbyterian Hospital. 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. While the No. I dont care if he never makes a basket, Jobe said of Trey. "It looks like they were drag-racing, which is legally defined It was so terrible, and its something Ill never, ever forget.. It will not happen again.. Bobby is gone, Silas said. 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. "The skid marks indicate he was not going Report Browse more videos Playing next 1:01 Basketball | Golden State Warriors vs Hornets Charlotte "Not only was Bobby a Bobby did not answer, which was strange for him. Phills earned a bachelor's degree in animal science from He had everything. And his determination he had a passion for what he did, and he said he wanted to be a veterinarian if basketball did not work out. The Hornets retired Bobby Phills' No. After the team's morning session, Phills and David Wesley decided to race home from the Hornets' facility. Active in the community, Phills volunteered for children's Alongside earning from his games, Phills was also active in charitable works. In February, Phills was charged with driving 60 mph in a 35-mph A minute passed. Wesley was twice charged with speeding, according to Mecklenburg Two days later, Jordan went 9-for-26 against Phills. The new coach was close with Phills, whom Charlotte had signed to a seven-year, $33 million contract in 1997. Like when Phills and his high school teammates had lifted and moved Wallaces car after a game Wallace suspected a rival team had stolen the vehicle, before realizing his players had pranked him. Woolards car then was rear-ended by a minivan taxi driven by Yao Agbegbon, 33. 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.". And whenever he didnt win he talked enough trash to make you think he won. The important thing is for him to go there and graduate and do the things that his daddy did not do.. He gets rebounds. 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. 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. Soon after Phillss son addressed the mourners, Wesley stepped to the podium. You sitting down? Phills Sr. knew something had to be wrong. For years, I tried to get him Hes got a great sense of the game, understanding his athleticism as well, and his poise on the floor, said Yale coach James Jones. 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 always told: Dont fall in love with the horses talking about the players. A minivan taxi driven by Yao Agbegbon hit the rear end of Woolard's car almost instantaneously. I blamed everybody. Recasner remains on the injured list. 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 firemen wouldn't let me go near his body. For a rookie like myself, he was the veteran guy that you patterned yourself after. That day, he was riding behind teammate David Wesley at over 160 km/h. He was my partner in crime, he said. . He was going to play ball again, Jovanovic said recently. The other driver was slumped, unmoving, blood trickling from his nose. Silas spent the morning shootaround showing his team film of the Bucks blowout. Phills was killed in a car accident on . The Hornets game against the Chicago Bulls, which was scheduled the night of the Phills accident, was postponed. ''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. The next month, Wesley was charged with two misdemeanors: speed competition and reckless driving. On the morning of January 12, 2000, the Hornets had just finished a morning shootaround. 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.
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