La Salle Basketball: Rasual Butler’s college legacy

Rasual Butler and his wife tragically passed away following a car accident in California. What legacy did he leave on La Salle basketball and the world?

The basketball world was rocked by Wednesday’s news of Rasual Butler’s untimely passing. According to TMZ, he lost control of the car he was driving early on the morning of Jan. 31, resulting in hitting a parking meter and a wall before eventually flipping.

Butler’s wife, R&B singer Leah LaBelle, also lost her life in the accident.

It’s impossible to look at this as anything but a tragedy. Butler was just 38 years old, LaBelle 31. One way to cope with the loss is to remember some of the positive attributes that Butler brought to the world.

Entering college, Butler arrived at La Salle – located in his hometown of Philadelphia – with plenty of promise. He fulfilled it all. He averaged 14.2 points per game during his freshman season, boosting that to 18.4 points per game during his sophomore year. Butler saved his best for his upper-class years, however, averaging more than 20 points per game during his junior and senior years.

He led the Atlantic 10 Conference in points per game during his junior year (22.1 ppg) and field goals made during his senior year (233). He made the All-Atlantic 10 First Team in both seasons.

While Butler was dominant, he didn’t have enough help to lead the Explorers to glory; La Salle never finished with a winning record during his collegiate career. Nevertheless, Butler was good enough to be drafted by the Miami Heat in the second round of the 2002 NBA Draft. He went on to play 14 years in the NBA.

Next: A sad season in college basketball

The fourth-leading scorer in La Salle history returned home in 2008 when he was inducted into the La Salle Hall of Athletes. The university Butler called home for four years has commented on their alum’s passing. Everyone can join in mourning one of the program’s all-time greats in Rasual Butler.