Mike Phillips passes away at the age of 59

The Barça basketball section is in mourning at the news that Mike Phillips passed away on Sunday evening following an accident at his home in Kentucky, USA. Phillips signed for FC Barcelona in 1979 and after a year on loan at Mollet, he returned to play at the Club for two seasons between 1980 and 1982. He won the league title with the blaugranes in 1981 as well as two successive Cups in 1981 and 1982. He played with FC Barcelona’s current director of basketball Joan Creus at Barça and later on at Granollers.

“He was a great points scorer”

Joan Creus remembered his former team mate: “He was a really good player, a centre form the old school, big for the time and he was an excellent player under the hoop.” He added: “He was a big points scorer, especially when he was fully fit. Furthermore, he was brave, he had character and he could stand the pressure.” Creus ended by remembering that “he started playing in just European games and then later he ended playing in the league as well.”

Creus also took a more personal look back at Phillips: “He came from Kentucky and he used to wear a hat and boots, he had a strange style that we were not used to.”