West Coast Connection Forum
Lifestyle => Sports & Entertainment => Topic started by: Macaframa on March 02, 2006, 06:18:23 PM
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Vid: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q47bD_79Kdw
Mike Catalana (Greece, NY) 02/17/06 -- At Greece Athena High School, they are still talking about J-Mac's big night.
The soon-to-be graduating senior made his varsity basketball debut, and did in four minutes what will be remembered for a lifetime.
As a student assistant, Jason McElwain helps out the team. But, all that changed on Wednesday night, when coach Jim Johnson decided to give Jason his shot to suit up and play.
"He said this was my senior present, my chance to get out on the floor as an actual basketball player for the night," Jason said.
Jason, or "J-Mac" as he's known, is medically diagnosed as highly functioning autistic. He's also loved by his teammates and fellow students, and they came to the game with his face on signs. When he entered the game, they went crazy.
"My emotions started running wild.I actually sat down and I started to tear up and thought, 'Oh my God, this is happening,'" Coach Johnson said.
Jason got a pass and took a shot. He missed badly.
"His first possesion, he gets the ball and takes a shot and misses by six feet. I put my hands in my head and thought, 'Please, Lord, just get him a basket,'" Johnson said.
One minute later, he got his hoop--a three-pointer that set the gym on fire.
"I was very excited. The team was excited. Everyone was excited," Jason said.
But J-Mac wasn't done. He kept shooting and kept hitting--another three, then another, and yet another.
"I was on fire. I was hotter than a pistol," Jason said.
When he was done, he had hit a team record, tying for six three-pointers.
The crowd stormed the court and put Jason on their shoulders.
Athletic Director Randy Hutto said, "It was one of those special moments that as an athletic director, I thought, 'If I retired today, this would be the one thing that I talked about forever.'"
Jason's playing career is done, but his celebrity continues.
"I was late to every class. Everyone kept coming up to me and saying 'Congratulations,'" Jason said.
Levar Goff, the team's senior captain, said,"He's like a celebrity. He's loving every bit of it too. You see him smiling all the time."
Jason's job now is to help get his team ready for sectionals, but if they need a now not-so-secret weapon, they know they have J-Mac ready to go.
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that's the kinda stuff that almost gives me wet eyes :)
the kinda stuff you'd think only happens in movies... must have been pretty fantastic to be there... must have been pretty fuckin' fantastic to be that boy at that moment...
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yeah i read this and he has already talked to like disney and some other companies most likely in talks bout doing a movie or sumthin.
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I saw this on ESPN, amazing
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I saw this on ESPN, amazing
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crazy 8)
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Haha, cool story.
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yeah i seen this on the news, crazy ass kid, i feel happy for him. this was the highlight of his life
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yeah i saw this on the local news that kid's school is like a hour and a half away from where i live
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just thought i would add that J-Macs team went on to win State just recently
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just thought i would add that J-Macs team went on to win State just recently
shit thats tight 8)
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just thought i would add that J-Macs team went on to win State just recently
picture perfect ending to an incredible story.
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Does he even have a shot, or was he just throwin' em up there?
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its hard to tell from the video but he looks like he can shoot, i dont think he cud put up 6 three pointers w/o havin some kind of skill. check out the video at the top of the page nik.
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its hard to tell from the video but he looks like he can shoot, i dont think he cud put up 6 three pointers w/o havin some kind of skill. check out the video at the top of the page nik.
I saw the video, it looked like he was tossin' em up there from his chest almost...That's why I was saying, maybe he just has a weird stroke, but it looks as if his shot is not a real one. Maybe he threw 'em up and prayed...LOL
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haha yea i getcha that's wat i saw too, some people got weird ass shots like childress and the matrix, but as long as it goes in who cares right.