Los Angeles

Former Miami Heat Player Rasual Butler Dies in Los Angeles Car Crash

What to Know

  • Rasual Butler, who started his 14 year career in the NBA after being drafted by the Miami Heat, died Wednesday morning.
  • Butler was driving his black Range Rover around 2:30 a.m. local time in Studio City when it crashed into a building.
  • . He averaged just under seven points a game while playing in 182 games over three seasons before being traded in the summer of 2005.

Rasual Butler, who started his 14 year career in the NBA after being drafted by the Miami Heat, died Wednesday morning in a car crash near Los Angeles at the age of 38.

According to KNBC-TV, Butler was driving his black Range Rover around 2:30 a.m. local time in Studio City when it crashed into a building inside of a shopping center. Police say the car was speeding at the time of the crash.

Officials say another person was in the car and died, with some reports saying it was his wife, Leah. However, the station is reporting that the county coroner would not release that victim’s name.

Butler was selected in the second round of the 2012 Draft after playing his college career at LaSalle in his hometown of Philadelphia. He averaged just under seven points a game while playing in 182 games over three seasons before being traded in the summer of 2005.

Becoming a NBA journeyman, Butler would play for seven more teams over 11 seasons – including a different team in each of the final five seasons before being cut ahead of the 2016-17 season.

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