James Hampton, a 17-year-old basketball player from Charlotte, collapsed and died on the court during a game on Nike’s EYBL circuit on Saturday night at Boo Williams Sports Complex in Hampton, Va.
A 17-year-old tragically died after collapsing during a Nike grassroots basketball game
James Hampton, a 17-year-old from Charlotte, died on the court on Saturday night.
Ricky O'Donnell has covered basketball at all levels for more than a decade at SB Nation. He’s currently the Associate Director of Programming.
Hampton was playing in a game for Team United against Nike Phamily, the program run by the father of former Duke star Marvin Bagley III. Program director Jacoby Davis confirmed his passing to the Charlotte Observer.
“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 play continued on the EYBL circuit on Sunday morning, teams huddled to honor Hampton before each game:
Team United decided to play its final game on Sunday in memory of Hampton.
Scottie Pippen, whose son plays on the EYBL with the Oakland Soldiers, was among those who paid tribute to Hampton on social media:
James Hampton was entering his senior year at Liberty Heights, a private high school in Charlotte.
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