Sealy Still Remembered

It's hard to believe that it has been ten years since the untimely death of Minnesota Timberwolves F Malik Sealy. I remember watching the playoffs on NBC when Hannah Storm, now a Sportscenter anchor on ESPN, broke the news. Sealy wasn't a star on the Timberwolves, but he was well beloved in New York City, and his death came as a shock to most basketball fans in New York. Most people wouldn't know Sealy personally, but he has never displayed bad behavior that we know of. As a matter of fact, Sealy showed complete restraint when he was disrespected by radio personality Don Imus more than 15 years ago.

Sealy was good friends with Timberwolves star F Kevin Garnett. Actually, Sealy was driving home from Garnett's birthday party when he was struck head-on by another vehicle that was traveling on the wrong side of the highway. Garnett, usually an emotional individual, showed just how he felt about Sealy in a recent Sportscenter interview about the decade anniversary of the death. Garnett broke down when talking about Sealy.

The more troubling thing was the person who struck Sealy. Souksangouane Phengsene was the guy who was way over the influence of alcohol when he struck Sealy. After doing several years for it, he's been arrested for the same thing on several more occasions. He is currently in the midst of an eight-year prison sentence because of his latest DUI incident, which occurred in 2008.

Sealy, who was a standout at St. John's, was drafted by the Indiana Pacers in the first round of the 1992 NBA Draft. He played two seasons for the Pacers, and then played for the Los Angeles Clippers and the Detroit Pistons for the next four seasons. He then went to the Timberwolves in 1998, and played a couple of seasons before his untimely death at the age of 30. There is a certain connection with basketball players from New York City. Sealy will always be connected to the greats of the city.