Autistic Basketball Player Astounds Audience

posted on Jul 21 by Amelia in the Disability News, Fun category

Jason McElwain made national news for being quite the unlikely basketball star. Growing up, Jason had trouble interacting with other kids due to his autism and during his teenage years began to open up to people. Jason had a passion for basketball, so he was appointed the manager of his high school basketball team yet never given the chance to play.

During Jason’s senior year, the coach decided to give him a chance to play in the last game of the year in the last 4 minutes of a game. Hearing about this upcoming chance, students printed out large cut-outs of his face and held them high when he ran on the court.  Jason initially missed 2 shots with the first one being an air ball, and then he amazed the audience by making 6 three-point shots and 1 two-pointer. After the final buzzer rang, the crowd swarmed the court and raised Jason up on their shoulders. Jason had scored twenty points in just under 4 minutes.

Currently Jason works at a grocery store in New York, and occasionally customers recognize him and ask for his autograph. He also travels nationwide to help raise fund for autism research and often makes appearances to talk about his famous basketball game.

Jason McElwain and his family also started receiving phone inquiries from over 25 film companies including Walt Disney, Warner Brothers, and many others about making a movie based on his story. The rights were bought by Columbia Pictures, and people such as Laura Ziskin (Producer – Spider-Man film series), Magic Johnson, Mary Martin, Alvin Sargent, and Chris Burke are involved in the film production. No dates have been set as of yet.

Jason has also been featured on Oprah, numerous news stations, a Gatorade commercial, his own book “The Game of My Life,” and he even met the then president, George Bush.

His latest passion? He’s also a coach. He volunteers as the assistant coach of his old high school, and he always acts more like the main coach.  That night of being held up and appreciated by his peers gave him the confidence to be stronger than ever.  Jason believes that the world would be a better place if everyone received the cheer and support that the team, parents, and friends gave him that night on the basketball court.  His next dream?  Coaching college basketball.

See Jason McElwain’s story

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