Former NBA player Rasual Butler, 38, dies in car crash
— -- Former NBA player Rasual Butler and his wife were killed in a single-vehicle crash in the Studio City neighborhood of?Los Angeles, early Wednesday morning, the L.A. County coroner's office confirmed to ESPN. He was 38.
The couple was pronounced dead at the scene at 2:35 a.m. after his Range Rover struck parking meters and a wall and rolled into a parking lot, the coroner's office said. Butler's 31-year-old wife,?Leah LaBelle Vladowski, also died in the crash, the coroner confirmed. The R&B singer was a finalist in Season 3 of "American Idol" in 2004.
An autopsy report is pending.
Butler, a forward who?averaged 7.5 points and 2.4 rebounds per game, played 13 seasons in the NBA for eight teams. He last played during the 2015-16 season with the San Antonio Spurs.
The La Salle product was selected by the Miami Heat in the second round of the 2002 draft. After three seasons with Miami, Butler also played for New Orleans, the LA Clippers, Chicago, Toronto, Indiana and Washington.
In a statement, Heat president Pat Riley called Rasual "one of the greatest people we have ever had play for us; a great player, teammate and better person."
"It's always hard to cope with losing those you shared your life with, but we feel blessed to have had such a bright light shine in all of our lives," Riley said.
"Our compassion, empathy and hearts go out to their family and loved ones."
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