LaMelo Ball Breaks Silence After Shocking Car Accident Video—What He Refuses to Reveal Will Leave You Speechless

Regardless of whether or not a court finds that the injury to the autograph-seeking child was really Ball’s fault or not, this latest wreck is just another chapter in an established pattern of dangerous driving by the player. It also happens at the worst possible time for a Hornets organization, which is finally showing signs of life, playing the best basketball the team has in over a decade, and legitimately looks like a dangerous team if they can close out the regular season and find a way into the playoffs. At a time when every ounce of focus from players should be on basketball, Ball has brought in a massive distraction.

Seeing a star player for the Hornets get into a wreck also opens old wounds for the organization, fans, and the city of Charlotte. January 12, 2000 was the day that Bobby Phills died. The shooting guard for the Charlotte Hornets and the team leader at the time, Phills embodied the ultimate underdog story as he failed in the NBA, went to Europe, then returned to Charlotte in 1997 to become one of the best dogged on-ball defenders of his time.

A player always hailed for doing things “the right way” and giving back to the community, all it took was one horrible lapse in judgment to end his life. In the early hours of January 12, Phills was goofing around on the road with teammate David Wesley in their sports cars, when Phills lost control of his Porsche going over 100 mph. He struck two vehicles, and was pronounced dead on the scene, with the other drivers lucky to only have sustained minor injuries.

It was a loss that did immeasurable damage, not only for a city that mourned an athlete, but for the Charlotte Hornets organization. The 30-year-old’s role as the veteran leader of the team at the time was to nurture and help develop a young Ricky Davis, whom the Hornets took with an eye towards him being the future of the organization alongside Baron Davis. Ricky Davis regressed without Phills being a steadying force; he was traded, the team fell apart, and relocated to New Orleans following the 2001-02 season. It’s not that Phills’ death directly led to the team moving, but there is an alternate, unrealized timeline where the Hornets of that era reach their potential, return to their early-90s zenith, which gives way to the organization getting a new arena deal, and staying in Charlotte.