Galen Young

Leslie Galen Young (October 16, 1975 – June 5, 2021) was an American professional basketball player. He played two years of Division I college basketball for the Charlotte 49ers, where he earned first-team All-Conference USA honors in 1999. He played professionally in the United States and abroad for 13 years, winning a Continental Basketball Association championship in 2007 with the Yakima Sun Kings and an Australian National Basketball League championship in 2010 with the Perth Wildcats.

College career After attending Hillcrest High School in Memphis, Tennessee, Young spent two years at Northwest Mississippi Community College between 1994 and 1996. As a sophomore, he was named the team's Most Valuable Player and a two-time selection for All-State. He was a NJCAA All-American and named to the All-Tournament Team.

He transferred to the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and began playing for the 49ers in 1997. In 1999, he was named first-team All-Conference USA, Conference USA tournament MVP, and Conference USA All-Tournament Team. He averaged 14.7 points and 7.2 rebounds per game as a senior and left UNC-Charlotte third in scoring, second in blocked shots and fourth in rebounding in program history.

Professional career Young was selected by the Milwaukee Bucks with the 48th overall pick in the 1999 NBA draft. He was selected to the CBA All-Rookie Team.

After another preseason stint with the SuperSonics,

Young split the 2005–06 season in Spain with Unelco Tenerife and in Italy with Pepsi Caserta. while earning CBA Most Valuable Player and All-CBA First Team honors. Following the CBA season, he had a stint in the Philippines with San Miguel Beermen. He lifted the team from a 1–6 start to sixth place at the end of the elimination round. San Miguel went on to finish fourth after losing to eventual champion Alaska in the semifinals.

For the 2007–08 season, Young moved to Australia to play for the Townsville Crocodiles in the NBL. He averaged 11.3 points and 9.4 rebounds. He then had a short stint in the Philippines with the Alaska Aces. He averaged 6.0 points and 4.5 rebounds in 16 games and helped the Wildcats win the NBL championship.

In 2010, Young had an 11-game stint with the BC Titans of the International Basketball League. He led them to an ABA Final Four and was named one of the ABA's East All-Star Team Coaches for the 2011 ABA All-Star game.

Young had a short stint in the ABA during the 2011–12 season with the Bluff City Reign.

Coaching career In 2016, Young became an assistant coach for the Lane College men's basketball team. He spent four seasons with the Dragons as an assistant. He then spent the 2020–21 season as an assistant coach with the Rockhurst University men's basketball program. The portion of the house that the car hit collapsed on impact and Young was buried under a mountain of rubble.

The car's 19-year-old driver, Miracle Rutherford, was charged with vehicular homicide, driving without insurance and reckless driving. As part of a plea deal in 2023, Rutherford pleaded guilty to reckless vehicular homicide and was placed in a judicial diversion program instead of imprisonment.