A Split Second Decision

During the late 90s and early 2000s, I was an avid Charlotte Hornets fan and had loved the team since they started in Charlotte. One of my favorite players was Bobby Phills. Bobby Phills

was a beloved and admired player.  Joe Menzer of the Winston-Salem Journal once wrote of Bobby, “You can be in this business a long, long time and not meet someone as classy as that guy.”

On January 12, 2000, while running errands, I heard on my car radio that Bobby Phills had been killed in a car accident leaving basketball practice.  Bobby had made an immature decision to have a road race with another player revving up their Porsches at ridiculously high speeds. That split second decision lead to Bobby’s instant death. 

Driving in shock, I recalled that just a few months earlier, I was with my young stepsons at a local mall, in one of those fun gadget stores, and so was Bobby along with his wife and their two babies.  He wore a jersey that simply had Phills embroidered across the front of it.  We made eye contact and gave a smile.  He immediately walked over to my stepsons, bent down on one knee and started easily asking if they played sports and if they liked basketball.  He told the boys to always do their best in whatever they did in life.  My stepsons simply stood there in awe. Bobby Phills had made a lasting impression on all us that day!

The community was deeply saddened to lose not only a good player but a good man.  Bobby

Phills’ untimely death reminds us that a split second immature decision can change the lives of everyone surrounding us. Make it a goal to make careful decisions in 2012!