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Hoop Dreams: Autistic High School Student Gets His One Shining Moment
What does this story have to do with Austin? Well, nothing really, except for the fact that we're all humans first and Austinites second. Or something like that. OK, enough defending ourselves, but we had to pass along this story. You have probably seen this story already, but for those who haven't, last week in Rochester, New York something very special happened in a high school gymnasium.
Greece Athena High School student Jason McElwain suffers from autism. His handicap has gotten in the way of being able to play his way on to his high school basketball team, but in no way has it ever gotten in the way of him being a beloved member of his high school or his school's basketball team. McElwain is the manager of the team. He takes part in off-season practices, never misses a game and is loved by all. His coach Jim Johnson decided he wanted to do something nice for his manager and, after getting the ok from district officials and the other coach, he had his manager suit up on Senior Day. He had no idea if Jason would get to play, but as he said, just seeing him in uniform made the coach tear-up. Well, Greece Athena took a 20-point lead into the fourth quarter and coach Johnson decided it was time to let his manager have his one shining moment.
*After the jump, some serious tear-jerking video.*
Johnson pointed to McElwain to sub in and Jason almost ran directly onto the court. The fans, who had made printed cut-outs of Jason's face and were holding them up on sticks the way Cameron's Crazies might do with Coach K or one of their heroes, erupted. Jason got in and took his first shot as fans and coaches held their breath. He airballed, missing the rim by about six feet. A collective sigh went out as fans anxiously hoped Jason would make just one basket and hopefully not humiliate himself. Not to worry.
What happened next is the stuff of absolute legend. McElwain buried a three-pointer. Then another one. The gym was absolute bedlam. Fans and players were hugging each other in pure ecstasy. But Jason was not finished. In the final four minutes of the game in which he played, Jason scored 20 POINTS and set a school record with six three-pointers, the last one being an NBA-range bomb as time expired. The fans mobbed the court and hoisted McElwain to their shoulders. The next week it was playoff-time. And McElwain was back with the team. In coat and tie. The most famous high school basketball team manager in history.
Of course, Disney and about two dozen other companies have approached Jason and his family, hoping to remake his story and put it on the big screen. But no movie could match the compelling drama of that night in New York a week ago. There is also a battle between CBS and YouTube as to who can show the video.
Watch the video. We dare you not to tear up.
