'Devastated': NBA saddened by death of Rasual Butler
Rasual Butler
FILE - In this June 26  2017  file photo  former NBA basketball player  Rasual Butler  and his wife Leah LaBelle  whose given name is Leah LaBelle Vladowski  arrive at the NBA Awards at Basketball City at Pier 36 in New York. Authorities say the couple died in a single-vehicle rollover traffic accident in the Studio City area of Los Angeles' San Fernando Valley early Wednesday  Jan. 31  2018. Coroner's Assistant Chief Ed Winter says both died at the scene. Autopsies are pending. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP  File) (Photo: The Associated Press)
So  Rasual Butler  jumped into action  joining his teammate for the event solely to keep him calm.
Tributes like that were offered all over the basketball landscape in honor of  Butler   a longtime NBA player who died Wednesday in what police said was a single-vehicle rollover crash in Los Angeles. Police said  Butler  and  his  wife  R&B singer and former "American Idol" contestant Leah LaBelle Vladowski  died at the scene and that autopsies were pending.
 Butler  was 38. The NBA released a statement saying it was "devastated" by  Butler 's death.
 Butler  never played in the NBA Finals.  He  was never selected for an All-Star Game. More often than not  when  he  played   he  finished the night with fewer than 10 points.
That didn't matter. Teams often clamored to have  him  on their roster â a testament to the type of person  he  was.
"Rasual was the consummate team player and a great role model for our younger players on how a professional should prepare and act  while being a positive influence on everyone who associated with  him  " said Kevin Pritchard  Indiana's president of basketball operations.
 Butler  was the 53rd player out of 57 taken in the 2002 NBA Draft  getting selected by Miami.  He  turned out to be a steal; of the 52 people taken ahead of  him   only eight appeared in more games.  He  and Heat forward Udonis Haslem were close  even speaking recently about the possibility of  Butler  considering getting involved with  his  former Miami teammate on some business ventures.
"I know I speak for everybody at the Heat " said an emotional Miami coach Erik Spoelstra  an assistant when  Butler  was with the club. "He was one of our favorite guys."
Heat President Pat Riley raved about  Butler  and his wife Wednesday  and many in the organization still spoke very highly of Butler â even though he last wore a Miami uniform more than a decade ago.
 Butler  played for eight NBA clubs â Miami  New Orleans  the Los Angeles Clippers  Washington  Indiana  San Antonio  Toronto and Chicago.  He  was also under contract with Minnesota in 2016  but was waived before the start of the regular season.
 He  averaged 7.5 points  with a career-high of 33 points on two occasions.
 Butler  was from Philadelphia and played four years of college basketball at La Salle. There were no shortage of kids from Philadelphia who tried to emulate  his  game â one of them being Toronto guard Kyle Lowry  who tried to show off for some friends at a basketball camp they were attending on the night  Butler  got drafted.
Lowry  then 16  boasted that he knew  Butler  and gave  him  a call â hoping the new pro would answer.  Butler  took the call  and Lowry never forgot that gesture.
"This is truly a sad day for  me  " Lowry said.
FILE - In this June 26  2017  file photo  former NBA basketball player   [TGT] and  [TGT]  wife Leah LaBelle  whose given name is Leah LaBelle Vladowski  arrive at the NBA Awards at Basketball City at Pier 36 in New York. Authorities say the couple died in a single-vehicle rollover traffic accident in the Studio City area of Los Angeles' San Fernando Valley early Wednesday  Jan. 31  2018. Coroner's Assistant Chief Ed Winter says both died at the scene. Autopsies are pending. (Photo by Evan Agostini/Invision/AP  File) (Photo: The Associated Press)
So   [TGT] jumped into action  joining  [TGT]  teammate for the event solely to keep  [TGT]  calm.
Tributes like that were offered all over the basketball landscape in honor of  Butler   a longtime NBA player who died Wednesday in what police said was a single-vehicle rollover crash in Los Angeles. Police said  Butler  and  his  wife  R&B singer and former "American Idol" contestant Leah LaBelle Vladowski  died at the scene and that autopsies were pending.
  [TGT] was 38. The NBA released a statement saying it was "devastated" by  Butler 's death.
  [TGT] never played in the NBA Finals.   [TGT]   was never selected for an All-Star Game. More often than not  when   [TGT]   played    [TGT]   finished the night with fewer than 10 points.
That didn't matter. Teams often clamored to have   [TGT]   on their roster â a testament to the type of person   [TGT]   was.
"Rasual was the consummate team player and a great role model for our younger players on how a professional should prepare and act  while being a positive influence on everyone who associated with  him  " said Kevin Pritchard  Indiana's president of basketball operations.
  [TGT] was the 53rd player out of 57 taken in the 2002 NBA Draft  getting selected by Miami.   [TGT]   turned out to be a steal; of the 52 people taken ahead of   [TGT]    only eight appeared in more games.   [TGT]   and Heat forward Udonis Haslem were close  even speaking recently about the possibility of   [TGT]   considering getting involved with   [TGT]   former Miami teammate on some business ventures.
"I know I speak for everybody at the Heat " said an emotional Miami coach Erik Spoelstra  an assistant when   [TGT] was with the club. " [TGT]  was one of our favorite guys."
Heat President Pat Riley raved about  Butler  and his wife Wednesday  and many in the organization still spoke very highly of  [TGT]  â even though  [TGT]  last wore a Miami uniform more than a decade ago.
  [TGT] played for eight NBA clubs â Miami  New Orleans  the Los Angeles Clippers  Washington  Indiana  San Antonio  Toronto and Chicago.  He  was also under contract with Minnesota in 2016  but was waived before the start of the regular season.
 He  averaged 7.5 points  with a career-high of 33 points on two occasions.
  [TGT] was from Philadelphia and played four years of college basketball at La Salle. There were no shortage of kids from Philadelphia who tried to emulate   [TGT]   game â one of them being Toronto guard Kyle Lowry  who tried to show off for some friends at a basketball camp they were attending on the night   [TGT] got drafted.
Lowry  then 16  boasted that he knew   [TGT] and gave  him  a call â hoping the new pro would answer.   [TGT] took the call  and Lowry never forgot that gesture.
"This is truly a sad day for  me  " Lowry said.