Class of 2019 basketball prospect collapses on court, dies at 17
The basketball world was dealt a loss on Saturday when 17-year-old James Hampton of Charlotte, North Carolina, collapsed and died during a Nike Elite Youth Basketball League event in Virginia, per The News & Observer.
RIP James Hampton.
The 17yo collapsed & died during a Nike EYBL game on Saturday. His team will play today.“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." – Team director Jacoby Davis pic.twitter.com/mFKyVo83mg
— Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) May 27, 2018
Hampton, a student at Liberty Heights, was playing for the Charlotte AAU team Team United. Team director Jacoby Davis confirmed the news of Hampton’s death.
The incident occurred spontaneously, per Davis. Hampton was jogging down the floor when he looked at a referee.
“Hey, ref,” Hampton was overheard saying, according to the report. He immediately collapsed after speaking to the referee.
Davis revealed that Hampton had suffered from 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.”
As medical personnel rushed the court to check on him, Hampton’s peers and coaches were visibly shaken on the sidelines. He was taken away by an ambulance after about 10 minutes, according to the New York Daily News.
Hampton was pronounced dead at the hospital.
“It’s hard to even explain,” Davis said. “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.”
Davis added that Team United wanted to finish up the Nike event over the weekend to help honor the memory of 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.”
Many of the players and personnel involved in the Nike event were present for a silent vigil mourning Hampton’s passing.
RIP to James Hampton who passed away after collapsing during an EYBL game yesterday. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family, friends and teammates ❤️ @teamunitedhoops pic.twitter.com/Ek1SDjgEHJ
— Overtime (@overtime) May 27, 2018
Davis said Hampton’s parents weren’t in Virginia for the tournament. As one Twitter user astutely pointed out, they couldn’t have been blindsided any harder.
Sad news from Hampton, Virginia tonight and the Nike EYBL. James Hampton passed away during the game and was only 17yrs old. Prayers up to his family and Team United family. No parent sends their kid to an AAU tournament never to see them alive again. Devastating😢🙏🏿 R.I.P kid! pic.twitter.com/vWtyx0Kreg
— 🌎 (@Brandon_B_5) May 27, 2018
Hampton, a member of the 2019 recruiting class, had received an offer to play at Hampton University in Virginia, according to 247 Sports.
Our thoughts and prayers are with all of James Hampton’s family and friends right now.
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