Charlotte Hornets To Honor Former Southern Guard Bobby Phills

The Charlotte Hornets have announced plans to honor former Southern standout Bobby Phills by re-hanging his retired No. 13 jersey during a ceremony next month.

Phills, who was taken in the second round of the 1991 NBA Draft by the Milwaukee Bucks before signing with the Cleveland Cavaliers and then  Hornets, died in a car accident on Jan. 12, 2000. He was 30.

The organization initially retired his number on Feb. 9, 2000, nearly a month after his death.

Phills averaged 11 points, 2.7 assists and 3.1 rebounds during his 9-year NBA career.

The halftime ceremony, which will include members of the Phills family and several of Phills’ former Charlotte Hornets teammates, will feature a video and remarks on behalf of the family and the organization before the No. 13 jersey once again resumes its place as the lone retired number in Hornets history.A 6-5 guard, Phills signed with the Hornets prior to the 1997-98 season and played in 133 games for the team prior to his untimely death on January 12, 2000. He averaged 12.3 points, 3.5 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 1.4 steals in 32.2 minutes per game during his time in Charlotte. The nine-year NBA veteran spent his first six seasons with the Cleveland Cavaliers, where he was named to the All-Defensive Second Team following the 1995-96 season.