James Hampton, an AAU basketball player for Team United Hoops of the Nike EYBL, passed away at age 17. Hampton was on the court with his team when he collapsed in the middle of the game. The 17-year-old was a junior at Liberty Heights Athletic Institute in Charlotte.
According to eyewitnesses, the coaching staff and medical personnel immediately responded to Hampton after he collapsed. Hampton appeared unresponsive and the staff was attempting to resuscitate him for several minutes on the court.
From The News & Observer:
The player appeared unconscious as medical personnel ran on to the court to assist him. Chest compressions were administered. His teammates and coaches first gathered on their bench across the court, many in tears.
A video shows many of Hampton’s teammates distraught as he was attended to on the court.
Team United did not finish the game. While it would be understandable to see his teammates pack up and call it a weekend to mourn the loss of their teammate and friend, they will reportedly finish out today’s schedule of games.
“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 United director Jacoby Davis said in a statement.
The latest information on Hampton’s passing can be seen below.
James Hampton Cause of Death: Undisclosed at the time
James Hampton was a member of the Nike EYBL Team United Hoops. Hampton had reportedly suffered seizures in previous years. During Saturday’s slate of games, he sat out the first game of Team United’s session before taking the court for Game 2. That is when he collapsed. No cause of death is being given at this time.
“He just fell down on the floor,” Davis said, via the News & Observer. “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.
“It’s hard to even explain. 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. …”