Rasual Butler, a 14-year NBA veteran whose career ended in 2016, has died in a car accident, according to TMZ.
The accident reportedly occurred early Wednesday morning in Studio City, Calif. Butler's wife Leah LaBelle reportedly died in the accident as well. LaBelle was an American Idol season three finalist and was signed to Epic Records/So So Def Recordings. She gained a large following on YouTube for her covers.
LaBelle was featured in Complex's October/November 2012 issue. Her most popular single, "Sexify," was released that year.
The accident reportedly happened around 2 a.m. after Butler lost control of his black Range Rover, which slammed into a parking meter, hit a wall, and flipped over.
Butler was a two-time first-team All-Atlantic 10 player at La Salle, where he was inducted into the school's Hall of Athletics. Following his impressive college career, Butler was selected in the second round of the 2002 NBA Draft by the Miami Heat.
Butler bounced around the NBA, but he played the bulk of his career with three teams: the Heat (2002-05), the New Orleans Hornets (2005-09), and the Los Angeles Clippers (2009-11). He last suited up in 2016 for the San Antonio Spurs.
Butler's best NBA season came in 2009-10 with the Clippers. He averaged 11.9 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 1.4 assists per game.
Butler's basketball career did not end when his NBA career ended, however. He played in the inaugural season of Ice Cube's three-on-three league, the Big3, in the summer of 2017. Butler, who played for the team Power, finished second in the league in blocks. He totaled 94 points (an average of 11.8 per game), making him the team's third-leading scorer behind only Cuttino Mobley and DeShawn Stevenson.
Butler was close friends with former NBA player Lamar Odom and had appeared on the TV show Khloe and Lamar.
