Every now and then we throw up a 'new' classic throwback video from the internet archives. Check out the story behind Jason McElwain's inspirational basketball shot.
The Story
In 2006, Jim Johnson was the basketball coach for Greece Athena High School and he decided to add Jason to the roster a game against Spencerport High School. Jason was born with autism and had served as the basketball team's manager, but the coach wanted to make sure he could get Jason his own jersey and a seat on the bench for the last home game of the season. The coach thought he might be able to let Jason play for a little while if Grace Athena had a lead towards the end of the game. They did.
Jason entered the game with four minutes left, and missed his first three-point shot. Then he missed a lay-up....and then the fun began. Jason turned it on, and shot six three-pointers and one two-point shot before the end of the game. The crowd was roaring with each shot, and stormed the court after the game ended to hoist Jason up on their shoulders.
The Aftermath
McElwain met former President George W. Bush in March of 2006, after Bush stopped during a trip so that he could meet the sharpshooter. Bush even jokingly asked Jason "Can I call you J-Mac?" Peyton Manning visited as well, and invited McElwain to the Indianapolis Colts' training camp. A minor league baseball team even gave away bobbleheads of Jason during a promotion.
He also appeared on The Oprah Winfrey Show, Larry King Live, Good Morning America, and the Today show on NBC, and he wrote a book titled The Game of My Life. He's been keeping busy with speaking engagements as well as getting his own Topps baseball card (that you can see in the article header) and he even made a pro debut with the Rochester Razorsharks of the ABA while scoring 10 points in the game.
Check out the video below.
