High School Basketball Player Does the Right Thing
John Murdoch ·
February 27, 2013 at 5:24pm
Watch. Weep.
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Comments:
Oct '12
Re: High School Basketball Player Does the Right Thing
I teared up .... These good people, and there are millions more, will, collectively, get us through the current unsettling times...
May '11
Re: High School Basketball Player Does the Right Thing
Just when you think that there is no hope for the younger generations. Just wonderful.
Re: High School Basketball Player Does the Right Thing
Well that was awesome. Great story, well told.
Dec '11
Re: High School Basketball Player Does the Right Thing
Mitch, Mitch, Mitch!!!
Sep '10
Re: High School Basketball Player Does the Right Thing
Great way to start my day. Thank you!
Apr '11
Re: High School Basketball Player Does the Right Thing
Very nice. Now I must go find some tissue.
Apr '11
Re: High School Basketball Player Does the Right Thing
Am I the only one here who finds these stories to be overly sappy? I mean come on! Aren't we just patronizing the poor kid?
Sep '10
Re: High School Basketball Player Does the Right Thing
This is a kid who will never experience what its like to score a basket in any game at this level (leaving aside special needs developmental leagues) and is likely something bordering on a celebrity with not just his own team but other teams as well.
In this case, I'll side with the sappy: if the basket means more to the other guy than it ever can to you, pass him the ball. Most of us rarely get a chance to have that much of an effect on someone else's life and I shudder at how many opportunities I've passed up because I was a little too cynical for my own good.
Nov '11
Re: High School Basketball Player Does the Right Thing
I love that the player attributed his decision to (presumably) his parents -- "I was raised" to treat others the way he'd want to be treated. Kudos to them as well.
Feb '12
Re: High School Basketball Player Does the Right Thing
Tears in the eyes and looking for tissue
Edited on February 27, 2013 at 7:25pmFeb '12
Re: High School Basketball Player Does the Right Thing
YES on the 1st and NO on the 2nd
Edited on February 27, 2013 at 7:27pmRe: High School Basketball Player Does the Right Thing
I sure hope you're the only one!
If by "patronize" you mean treat with an air of kindness when really you wish to display your superiority, I think you could take a lesson from the kid who did it.
As he said, he was simply treating someone as he would wish to be treated in similar circumstances.
So he wasn't patronizing at all. The game was over, he knew it, and he showed the beauty of sports and sportsmanship. Think of it another way -- nobody seemed superior at the end of this game -- we all got to see human dignity in action in many ways.
May '12
Re: High School Basketball Player Does the Right Thing
If I had a son, he would look like... aw no it's not about me...
Great kid, his parents must be proud.
Dec '10
Re: High School Basketball Player Does the Right Thing
That's the best thing I've seen all year! There is hope.
Apr '11
Re: High School Basketball Player Does the Right Thing
Mollie Hemingway, Ed.
Think of it another way -- nobody seemed superior at the end of this game -- we all got to see human dignity in action in many ways. · 57 minutes ago
Seeming superior is the whole point of sports though isn't it? Sports are about putting forth your best effort in the face of all opposition. Passing the kid an interception is a cop out The whole thing becomes a farce when you do that.
On this site people have bemoaned the no competition culture, and the "every one gets a medal" mentality that has crept into competitive youth sports. How is this not just an example of that?
I'm not saying the coach was wrong to play the kid or his teammates to pass him the ball to give him a shot to score. But, for the opposing team player to do it, just rubs me the wrong way. It isn't sportsmanship to give the ball away, even if you are down 15 points.
Mar '12
Re: High School Basketball Player Does the Right Thing
My reaction.
Sep '11
Re: High School Basketball Player Does the Right Thing
You aren't patronizing the kid. He KNOWS he's not a basketball player on this level. But you are giving him a chance to fulfill a dream to nobody's detriment. Sports are for competition AND sportsmanship. As you rise into the professional levels sportsmanship becomes a civilizing check on the competition, but I believe on the high school level and in so many sports that will never be professional and sportsmanship remains the point throughout. Effort, dedication, team work, confidence etc.... This kid is a sportsman and his achievements in this area were simply recognized by letting him actually score.
And then you have this
Apr '11
Re: High School Basketball Player Does the Right Thing
Valiuth,
I think the whole point of sports is having fun.........and if you can lift someone else up and truly make his day that is sportsmanship. Sportsmanship is not win at any cost its about playing a good game and that was a great game.
Apr '11
Re: High School Basketball Player Does the Right Thing
No, seeming superior is not the whole point of sports. It's a big part of it, but not everything. Of all who compete, only a small percent are consistent winners. Everyone else gains a great deal despite the fact that they don't often win. If not, why would they continue to compete? In this case, it was the last game of the season. It didn't appear that there were playoff possibilities in the team's future, and they loved the team manager. They wanted to give him a gift. It was a great moment. How many moments truly stand out in your own high school sports career? I was a runner - cross country, winter and spring track. I can think of maybe four or five dramatic moments. The rest just blend into one big track meet blur. Something like this would definitely have remained in my memory.
Jul '11
Re: High School Basketball Player Does the Right Thing
Sniff. Coaching last year gave another coach and I an opportunity to let our very worst kids have a free shot at a basket to the delight of the children involved. One kid was just incredibly small with minimal talent and the other other was special needs. No regrets.