In honour of our very own CCA Eagles, who are headed to Hoopla to win their 2nd championship in a row!!! This week is all about Green & Gold!!! Here's a little b-ball inspirational story for ya...
Jason McElwain, nicknamed "J-Mac" (born October 1, 1988), is an American with autism who made national news in 2006 when he played for four minutes during a high school basketball game and scored twenty points.
McElwain was diagnosed with autism at a young age, he had trouble interacting with other kids, but during his teenage years he began to develop social skills and make friends. McElwain had a passion for basketball, despite being only 5'6", so Greece Athena High School basketball coach Jim Johnson appointed him manager of the team.
On February 16, 2006, Greece Athena was playing Spencerport High School for a division title. Greece Athena got a large lead, so Johnson decided to let McElwain play in the last four minutes. After initially missing two shots, McElwain made six three-point shots and one two-pointer (tying the all-time team record for most three-point shots in a game). After the final buzzer rang, the crowd dashed onto the court in celebration.
Here's the breakdown of that February 16, 2006 basketball game:::
Greece Athena High School basketball coach Jim Johnson decided to add McElwain to the roster for the team's February 16 game against Spencerport High School, so McElwain could be given a jersey and sit on the bench for the team's last home game of the season. Although the game between Greece Athena and Spencerport was for a senior night at Greece Athena High School, Johnson planned to allow McElwain to play a few minutes if Greece Athena got a comfortable lead. With four minutes left in the game, Athena Greece had a double-digit lead, so Johnson decided let McElwain play out the last minutes of the game. When teammates first passed the ball to McElwain he attempted a three-point shot and missed. McElwain got a second chance to score with a lay-up which he also missed. Then McElwain went on a "hot streak" shooting six three-pointers and one two-point shot, before the game ended! The final score was Greece Athena 79, Spencerport 43. As soon as the final buzzer rang, fans from the stands stormed the court in celebration.
Since then, "J-Mac" has had the privilege to meet President George W. Bush, and there are many Hollywood film companies (including Disney) who want to make McElwain's story into a movie!
Posted on
Mon, March 16, 2009
by Garrett Johnson