American teenage basketball prospect collapses and dies at Nike event

A player for a North Carolina youth basketball team collapsed and died on the court at a tournament in Virginia.

James Hampton played for Team United out of Charlotte, North Carolina, and was at the Nike Elite Youth Basketball League (NYBL) event in Hampton, Virginia. Current NBA stars Ben Simmons, Anthony Davis and Devin Booker all played in NYBL events on the way to basketball stardom.

Team United director Jacoby Davis told The Charlotte Observer that Hampton was running and turned to say something to a referee Saturday night when he collapsed.

"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."

Davis says paramedics did chest compressions on the court before Hampton was taken to the hospital where he was pronounced dead.

The 17-year-old went to Liberty Heights school in Charlotte and was scheduled to graduate high school next year.

Davis says Hampton's team wants to play their final two games Sunday in honor of their teammate.

NBA legend Scottie Pippen was one of many within the basketball community to pay tribute to the teenager.