CHARLOTTE — The Charlotte Hornets honored the late Bobby Phills and re-hung his No. 13 jersey in a halftime ceremony at Time Warner Cable Arena on Saturday night.
The jersey was originally raised to the rafters on Feb. 9, 2000, following Phills' passing a month earlier.
"During the process of bringing the Hornets name back to Charlotte, one of the most important elements to us was to once again honor the retired jersey of Bobby Phills," said Hornets President & COO Fred Whitfield. "It is our responsibility to appropriately recognize the legacy of a man who impacted so many people with his contributions both on and off the basketball court."
Members of Phills family and several of his former Charlotte Hornets teammates attended the ceremony, which featured a video and remarks on behalf of the family and organization.
Phills' jersey is the only retired number in Hornets history.
He signed with the Hornets prior to the 1997-1998 season and played in 133 games for the team prior to his death in Jan. 2000. He averaged 12.3 points, 3.5 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 1.4 steals in 32.2 minutes during his time in Charlotte, according to the Hornets organization.
The nine-year NBA veteran spent his first six seasons with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
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