Former NBA player Charlie Villanueva and his wife, Lala, got in a bad car accident recently, but they are thankful to be safe without major injuries. Villanueva shared photos of his damaged vehicle on Instagram and said the driver that rear-ended them fled the scene.
Villanueva said he had purchased the Mercedes G Wagon for his wife's birthday and "didn't even have it for two months" before the incident.
"One thing we never take for granted is leaving the house and making it back home," Villanueva wrote. "If you wondering what happened, my wife and I got hit bad by another car, and the crazy part is that whomever hit me, decided to run. Sore neck, sore back, messed up car, we are thankful to see another day. Our lives can't be replaced, but the vehicle can."
The 39-year-old spent 11 seasons in the NBA after being drafted by the Toronto Raptors as the No. 7 pick in the 2005 NBA draft. He finished second among rookies in points and rebounds and made the All-Rookie First Team. Villanueva also played for the Bucks, Pistons and Mavericks before retiring in 2016.
While it was a scary incident, Villanueva said this helped him put things in perspective and be thankful for being safe.
"Thank you God for protecting us. We must walk in faith not by sight," he wrote. "2023 is just preparing us for 2024. So to those whom 2023 has been a difficult year, a year of struggle be thankful, and don't give up, because once you come out of the storm, you'll see your true power."
