James Hampton collapses and dies during a Nike Elite Youth Basketball League game on Saturday night in Virginia
James Hampton, a top high school basketball player from Charlotte, North Carolina, collapsed and died during a Nike Elite Youth Basketball League game on Saturday night in Virginia. Hampton, who played for Team United and was a Class of 2019 basketball prospect, was 17 years old.
« It’s hard to even explain, » Team United director Jacoby Davis told The Charlotte Observer . « To have a kid in your program with so much life — that’s just the kind of kid he was. He was always happy. For something like this to happen, I can’t even explain it. And to have to talk to a parent not even in town and tell him that his son has died, well, that’s more devastating. »
Hampton, a senior at Liberty Heights Athletic Institute in Charlotte, collapsed in the second half while playing against Nike Phamily, a team run by Marvin Bagley Jr., the father of former Duke star Marvin Bagley III. Bagley Jr. was not at the event, the newspaper reported. The team tweeted its « deepest condolences. »
Davis said that right before Hampton fell, the player said « Hey ref » while looking at an official. Davis told the Charlotte Observer that Hampton had suffered seizures in the past.
« He just fell down on the floor, » Davis said. « He had seizures a year ago — and I remember [one of the Team United coaches] telling me that, ‘I saw his eyes rolling back in his head.’ I ran on the court thinking he was having a seizure. A trainer came over and said he didn’t know what was wrong. Another trainer checked his pulse. He said he didn’t have a pulse. It got crazy after that. »
NBA Hall of Famer Scottie Pippen was at the game. Pippen, who has a son playing for another team in the tournament, tweeted:
Davis said that despite the tragedy, the team will finish the tournament Sunday, to honor Hampton.
« They want to play Sunday, » Davis said. « They really want to finish it up. The coaches are just torn up right now. So it’s going to be tough, but it’s what the kids want to do. »
Last year, Hampton wrote on Twitter, « Family depending on me, can’t stop now. In couple years it’s won’t be Section8 living. »
