"Not only was Bobby a He watched Kendall experience such pride and sorrow at center court, and when shed finished speaking, Henderson walked out to Kendall and embraced her. Amanda OHara sits down with former Charlotte Hornets player, Bobby Phills family to discuss their foundation and Phills kids goals. David Stern, the N.B.A. Phills played in the NBA for nine seasons, his first six with the Cleveland Cavaliers and last three with the Charlotte Hornets. She pulled in behind George Shinns car. I dont even know his name. zone on Main Street in Pineville, N.C. Court records show he paid a $25 fine and $86 in court costs. Bobby Phills Death Remembering - video Dailymotion I went through the motions for the next couple years, but eventually, I got out, he said. After Silas was named interim coach, Phills asked him, Coach, you want to keep this job? Silas answered yes, and Phills told him, OK, youre going to have it. Phills encouraged his teammates to dig in and finish the 50-game season strong, and Charlotte went 22-13 under Silas that year, good enough for the Hornets to name him the full-timehead coach. Woolard was in too much pain to move. Young people changed. I blamed him. County court records. With a July birthday, Trey had always been among the youngest in his class, so Kendall decided to have him complete the eighth grade twice. 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. His community. 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. Late NBA star Bobby Phills Death, Wife, Funeral, Son, Family, Net worth The two lived close to one another, and after games, Phillss wife, Kendall, often drove Silass wife, Carolyn, home from the Charlotte Coliseum. Phills had arrived at Southerns laboratory high school after his father became dean of the universitys school of agriculture andconsumer sciences. A minute passed. She just completed her junior season and is being pursued by several top colleges. "He touched all of our lives," said Bob Bass, the Hornets' executive vice president of basketball operations. I'm just going to keep working.' The new Charlotte Hornets will re-retire Bobby Phills' No. 13 jersey on The Bobby Phills Scholarship Fund (www.bobbyphillsfund.com) has been set up in his honor. Woolard, an insurance adjuster and appraiser and native North Carolinian, had just finished inspecting one vehicle and was headed uptown to check out another. Bobby Phills was everybodys son, Ben Jobe, Phillss coach at Southern University and A&M College, said recently. 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.. 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 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. He always had to win. Wesley's car was not involved in the accident, and he was questioned for a few minutes at the scene. Phills was killed instantly. My god, he had the whole package, Jobe said of Phills. If you had five minutes to spare for Phills, he had 10 minutes for you. Ill watch some videotape of Bobby. Recasner remains on the injured list. The black car carried a vanity plate that read SLAMN. That was his dream car, recalled Phillss younger brother Dwayne. A minivan rear-ended the other car, police said. An autopsy on Phills was to be performed at the medical examiner's office. Active in the community, Phills volunteered for children's Kendall called Dwayne Phills, who was with his mother, Mary, in Baton Rouge. You sitting down? Phills Sr. knew something had to be wrong. He heard the news about 10 minutes into his workout. A few days after being charged, Wesley made his first public statement about the incident. Because youve been putting on your socks and shoes since you were 6 or 7 years old. Coach, we just cant deal with that, he said. Police said the men were racing their Porsches at speeds of morethan 100 mph when Phills crashed. Phills spoke with his coach, Paul Silas, before sliding behind the wheel of his 1997 Porsche 993 Cabriolet. David Wesley Convicted of Reckless Driving - ABC News spokesman Keith Bridges said Thursday. You hope no one would ever have to feel that, Miller said. The following season, on the morning of Phillss death, Silas fumed at his team. Then David Wesleys fiance, Shannon, called. Bobby Phills - Wikipedia 13 jersey in a halftime ceremony during its game against Memphis on Saturday, Nov. 1. Bobby Phills Sr. recalled receiving a call from Dwayne. [5] A police report said Phills and Wesley were driving "in an erratic, reckless, careless, negligent or aggressive manner. He was 30. The consent submitted will only be used for data processing originating from this website. In December 1998, Wesley was charged with driving 79 mph in a The two other drivers were hospitalized and listed in stable condition. That season, he scored 52 points against Alcorn State, hitting 10 3s in a game attended by several NBA scouts. The Charlotte Observer reported that both Phills and Wesley had previous speed violations. "Not only was Bobby a tremendous person, but a great husband, father and role model that everyone respected and admired. Yeah, I concentrate better, Phills said, because I dont want to chase a rebound up in the bleachers.. Ben Jobe remembered Bobby Phills as everything the coach had once hoped to be, but when Phills first joined the mens varsity at Southern, Jobe accepted him only after losing out on one of Phillss high school teammates. Do you know why you were able to do that without even seeing your feet and shoes? Jobe asked. "He was a very in-depth person and just a treasure to be around," he said. The owner is out here, she said to herself. He dont have to play., But Phills insisted. Anthony Mason was just like, Man, whyd it have to be him?. A native of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Phills attended Baton Rouge's Southern University. Cookie Policy. [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. He let me go, I held his hand, and I prayed with him. Then a few more. ", Active in the community, Phills volunteered for children's charities and related organizations. 13 was where it belonged. I blamed his parents. him away from the NBA. From what I can see, he hasnt moved or done anything.. Once, Jobe walked into the gym to find Phillss younger brother rebounding for him. ''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. The accident happened after a morning Hornets practice on a roadnear the Charlotte Coliseum. "He had extreme high character. Bobby Phills we got in an accident. Silas wasnt alarmed at first. Wesley was later convicted of reckless driving for his part in the incident. 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. While taking Advanced Placement classes at Charlotte Christian, his grade point average hovered near 5.0. Kerstie Phills is in her freshman season at Wagner College, where she also plays guard. Bridges said it will be at least several days before investigators reconstruct what happened. It took a split second for him to realize that its tires were squealing and smoking as it spun out of control and headed toward him. Jobe asked how many points Phills had scored. Bobby Phills' Family Speaks on Coping with Death of Former Hornets He averaged 10.9 points, 3.2 rebounds and 2.7 assists a game for his career at the end of last season and was fourth on the team in scoring this season. Miller was unsure what to do. Phills also was a finalist for the NBA Sportsman of the Year award in 1998. Wesley's car wasn't involved in the accident, and he was questioned at the scene. This must be bad. He really grew on the fans here. Charlotte finished the season with a 49-33 record, but lost to Philadelphia in the first round of the playoffs. He was named to the N.B.A. Shooting is the easiest of the skills. Im trying to keep the flesh lovers away from him. L.E. It was capitalism that hooked him. 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. finalists for the NBA's Sportsmanship Award and started the "Bobby Coleman was arrested on a drunken driving charge. Over his nine-year career, he averaged 11.0 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 2.7 assists per game. Charges to be filed against Phills' teammate in deadly crash - NewsOn6.com Kevin Garnett reflects on the life of former teammate and friend Malik Sealy. 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. Bobby Phills of the Charlotte Hornets was killed recently in a car crash shortly after a morning practice at the teams arena. He was in his car, lifeless. She prayed for him, told him that she loved him, and promised to take care of their children. So I pleaded with the guy, 'Look I have to say my final goodbye.' He paid $80 in court costs, according to Hes happy. He seemed like a great person on and off the court, Trey said. 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. He got into a car with the Hornets coaching staff and made the short drive to Tyvola. He has assists. This season, as a senior, Trey led Charlotte Christian to a 20-9 record, the highlight of which was a breathtaking game winner Trey scored against Charlotte Country Day. Hornets Guard Killed in Car Accident Both other drivers survived, while Phills died on the scene. Click here to watch Jalen & Jacoby, Grantland Features, and video podcasts. Gerald Henderson was drafted by Charlotte in 2009, and over his fiveNBA seasons, hed grown close to the Phills family. 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. And as the captain of the Charlotte Hornets, the 6-foot-5-inch guard was a talented, highly-regarded basketball player. Wallace taught and coached basketball at the high school, and Kendall had also been one of his students. Id be driving down the road and just shed a tear, just having memories. 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. Hes got a great sense of the game, understanding his athleticism as well, and his poise on the floor, said Yale coach James Jones. "He could have been one of the foremost black leaders in the country," Jobe said. I was devastated.. Jobe told Phills he wouldnt check to make sure Phills took his daily shots, but the coach would be able to tell if Phills put in the work by the time practice resumed in the fall. 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. I dont know who was at fault. Tell everybody where Daddy is, Kendall Phills instructed her 3-year-old son. Bobby Ray Phills III, nicknamed Trey, is in his sophomore season playing guard at Yale. The accident occurred a year ago yesterday, when Bobby Phills lost control of his Porsche after a Hornets practice in Charlotte, N.C. While a member of the Charlotte Hornets, Bobby Phills died in a car accident in Charlotte, North Carolina, on 12th January 2000.