According to TMZ Sports and CBS2, longtime NBA player Rasual Butler and his wife Leah LaBelle died in a car crash around 2:00 a.m. this morning in Los Angeles. Butler was 38, and LaBelle was 31. Their car apparently hit a parking meter, flipped over, and slammed into a wall after the driver lost control on Ventura Boulevard. Fox 11 LA first reported the crash early this morning (video of the car is somewhat graphic).
Butler spent 14 seasons in the NBA with the Heat, Hornets, Clippers, Bulls, Raptors, Pacers, Wizards, and Spurs, where he served primarily as a backup three-point specialist. He played in two conference finals series, once with the Heat and once with the Pacers, and even if he never became a star, he had a truly impressive career for a 53rd overall pick from La Salle.