HAMPTON, Va., (WVEC) -- The Team United (N.C.) player who collapsed during a game at the Nike EYBL in Hampton Saturday evening has died, according to Team United director Jacoby Davis confirmed.
James Hampton fell to the hardwood with 9:37 left in the second half of Team United’s game against Nike Phamily (Ariz.) and appeared to be unresponsive.
On-court trainers began CPR on Hampton and continued for more than 10 minutes until paramedics arrived.
Nike EYBL staff cleared the gym and suspended play on all four courts for more than 35 minutes as paramedics performed CPR and transported Hampton to the ambulance and eventually to Sentara CarePlex Hospital, which is less than a mile away from the Boo Williams Sportsplex.
Despite the loss of their teammate, Team United opted to continue in the tournament and played two games on Sunday.
The last time Earl Hampton saw his son he was dropping him off at a bus stop, so he could get a ride to his basketball tournament.
"He pointed to the referee, to get his attention, and his eyes rolled back in his head and he fell backward on the basketball floor. And the coach on the phone said he's not responding, he's not responding," said Hampton. "They say his heart never came back beating, and his pulse never came back beating.”
James had epilepsy, but Earl said he also went to see a heart specialist.
"They actually never found out what was wrong on him. They ran tests on him and he stayed at the hospital for a week or so, and they ran all these EKGs and EEGs,” said Hampton.
Sentara Interventional cardiologist Neville Mistry performs EKGs.
"An electrical map of your heart, it's made by placing several stickers or electrodes across the chest. It gives us an idea of how one's electrical system is working,” Mistry.
Most physicals don't require an EKG. President of Parent Heart Watch Martha-Lopez Anderson wants to change that. Her son died while he was playing at the age of ten.
“We are here to educate others and empower other so they hopefully don’t have to suffer the loss of a child, like many of us have. I was completely blindsided by sudden cardiac arrest, and my son had had a well-child checkup the month before,” said Anderson. Parent Heart Watch has locations in most states where you can get a free EKG.
“We can detect these conditions early, they can be monitored, they can be treated,” said Anderson. "As for Earl, he just wants to know what happened to his son, a son that can’t be replaced. I guess the man upstairs got other plans for him, but while he was here on earth I couldn't ask for a better son."
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